One of York's most colourful characters, John Warlock, has been banned from using York's Peasholme Day Centre unless he leaves his beloved pet dog, Cleo, at home.

John, whose plight provoked a city-wide protest when he was evicted from his shed next to the Theatre Royal two years ago, now lives in a caravan in the garden of York couple Joan and Peter Buckle.

But he uses facilities for washing at the centre for the homeless every week and takes Cleo with him.

When staff told him he could not tie Cleo up on the railings outside the centre, he asked the landlady of the Black Swan pub next door if he could tie her up there and she agreed.

Now the hostel staff have told him he cannot use the hostel if he leaves Cleo anywhere nearby.

John said: "I don't want to leave her alone for an hour in my caravan. She's a quiet dog and only bit someone once outside the hostel because he fell on to her.

"The landlady of the Black Swan is happy with the arrangement.

"I think it's discrimination and they're taking my rights away - I've got nowhere else I can go."

Staff at the Black Swan confirmed they were happy for John to use their property.

But Dave Knowles, day centre co-ordinator, said the centre's policy was not to allow people to tie dogs to their railings or to leave them unattended anywhere in the vicinity of the centre.

"Even before we introduced the policy, we'd asked John not to bring his dog down to the centre because it was going for people outside the centre.

"He has been tying her up in the ginnel way between the Black Swan and the hostel, which is within a couple of yards of the centre.

"Other people make arrangements with friends to hold their dogs while they use the hostel - all we're expecting John to do is the same as other people.

"The key issue is the dog is being left unattended and it is a dog which is known to bite."

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