Pontins under investigation over treatment of Travellers

theguardian.com:

Britain’s equality watchdog has launched an investigation into Pontins over concerns that it has failed to eradicate discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers.

Pontins’ owner, Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, entered a 12-month agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last year after a whistleblower revealed that the holiday parks company had drawn up a list of surnames apparently designed to keep Irish Travellers out.

It was alleged to have refused or cancelled bookings by people suspected of being Gypsies or Travellers based on their name or Irish accent, and to have used its commercial vehicles policy to exclude them from its venues.

The EHRC said on Thursday it had ended the agreement with Pontins’ owner on 18 February because it was not satisfied that the company was taking the required steps to prevent unlawful race discrimination or meet its commitments under the deal.

The commission’s chief executive, Marcial Boo, said: “We are concerned that Pontins may have illegally denied Gypsy and Traveller families the simple pleasure of a holiday. Any business that refuses to provide services to guests due to their race or ethnic group is likely to be breaking equality law.

“We signed a legally binding agreement with Pontins last year. We expected that to address our concerns about discriminatory behaviour. The company’s failure to comply has left us with no choice but to use stronger enforcement powers to investigate further.

“The EHRC will continue to use all legal powers at its disposal to ensure that no one experiences racism, whether at a holiday park or elsewhere, simply because of their name, ethnicity or the community they belong to.”

Declining to provide services to guests because they are of a