A bar manager has denied that a man in a wheelchair was blocked from entering a pub because of his disability.

Mark Daniels, 26, tried to get into the Mosquito Bar, in Clapham High Street, at about 2am on November 6.

He said the man on the door told him and his friend, “Sorry, there’s no room, no disabled toilet – you can’t come in”.

Mr Daniels replied he was not worried about the toilet and the ramp was not an issue as there was only one step.

According to Mr Daniels, the bar manager was letting in customers past him as they debated.

Mr Daniels said: “He said it was busy, but I could see through the window – it wasn’t.”

The medical student from Peckham said he had been turned away by the bar in January and April, but had not taken the matter further.

On another occasion he was allowed in but Mr Daniels, who is considering legal action, claimed: “Once the manager who was inside saw me, he said ‘please don’t move around, and make sure you stay in the corner’.”

But Mosquito’s manager, Faysal Shaikh, denied saying that and insisted decisions about entry were made purely on safety grounds.

He said: “I’m only trying to protect him, it’s duty of care. It was very crowded, and someone could fall over or a fight could kick off.”

He added people he had let in while barring Mr Daniels were smokers going back inside.

Martin Ellacott, vice-chairman of Wandsworth Access, a disability group, said: "He has clearly been discriminated against. If they have used the excuse that a bar is too busy that is disability hatred.

"It’s up to the wheelchair user to decide whether they are at risk, not the manager of a bar. They are denying him the right of choice.

"As an association we would give him our full backing and would be happy to give him legal advice."