A JUDGE has ruled that a North Yorkshire caf owner who refused to allow a blind man's guide dog into his premises discriminated against him unlawfully.

Lawrence Lawford, 57, who runs the 400-year-old Hannah's Tearooms and Restaurant in Castlegate, Knaresborough, was not at Harrogate County Court to hear Judge Helen Wood rule against him and order damages of £1,000.

The court heard he was in hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Visually-impaired Ian Glover visited Knaresborough with his mother, Sylvia, and two friends from Kent in the summer of 2001.

His guide dog, Queenie, was turned away by Mr Lawford, who insisted is should be left in the back yard while the party ate.

Mr Glover suffered from diabetes and urgently needed food. He has died since the proceedings were started.

But his mother, with the backing of the Disability Rights Commission and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, pursued the claim, after conciliation failed

Yesterday Judge Wood ruled against Mr Lawford, who had contended he had a strict no-dogs rule following a previous incident in which a guide dog had vomited in the caf and cost him £1,000.

The judge said she was satisfied there had been unlawful discrimination. Mr Lawford had acted without regard for any injury he might cause to Mr Glover's feelings and any public humiliation he might suffer. He had left Mr Glover angry and frustrated.

While Mr Lawford had not been in any sense malicious or deliberately provocative, there had been no justification for treating Mr Glover less favourably than any other member of the public. Outside the court, Louise Carter, legal officer with the Disability Rights Commission, said they were happy with the outcome of the case. ''It sends out a clear message to businesses not to refuse to serve disabled people. Turning people like Ian away from any establishment does not make good business sense. Disabled people have over £40 billion a year to spend.''

Updated: 10:36 Tuesday, March 11, 2003