Restaurants, public transport systems and leisure facilities are illegally turning away blind people as they mistakenly try to prevent those with guide dogs from using their services, according to a new report by the charity Guide Dogs.

The study shows that there has been a lack of awareness of legislation which was passed three years ago in an attempt to ensure those who suffer from disabilities receive the same access to services as those who are not impaired.

It found that complaints have risen by more than a third since last year, with the largest number of reported incidents involving eateries – with restaurants being labelled as the worst offenders – while public transport came in as the second worst in the report which took complaints from over 400 people.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) states business owners must make "reasonable adjustments" to make their services accessible to disabled people, or those who are impaired.

"More awareness is needed to avoid blind and partially sighted people having to cope with this stress and discrimination in their daily lives,” said Guide Dogs' chief executive, Richard Leaman.

"Although business owners are often eager to comply when we speak to them, our report shows that the situation is very different on the ground."

The report was published ahead of Guide Dogs Week which begins on 5 October, aiming to raise awareness of the challenges faced by guide dog owners in getting around and carrying out their daily lives.

More information is available here: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk