I'm a Britasian, I live in Leeds and when I go out on a Friday or Saturday night. I'm very likely to go to Townhouse at some point as it has the style of music and atmosphere I like.

Out of the many occasions I've been to Townhouse I've only been refused entry once. On that particular night there was a long queue and I was definitely dressed too casual. In fact, I went home, got changed and got in without any problems.

Not only that, but on numerous occassions I've seen many "white" guys get refused at the door.

Whenever I'm in Townhouse there is a predominant level of Asian and Afro-Carribean people. Everyone's enjoying it and having a good time and I've never seen any trouble. I think your report doesn't reflect on Townhouse accurately.

It may be true on certain nights if the management want less ethnic groups to be in the club, which I can't comment on because that wouldn't be on a Friday or Saturday night for sure.

I've never been to Rehab but I've seen plenty of ethnic groups go there too since it's opposite Townhouse. I don't think it's a general policy either of these clubs hold to be honest.
Zaz, Leeds

I was a regular at the Townhouse in Leeds prior to moving to London. I can honestly say that I have never seen or heard any racial discrimination from any of the door staff.

However, as one of the most popular places in Leeds to drink, it is notoriously difficult to gain entry.

Not only do you have to arrive at a time when the club is not heaving but you also need to be smart/casual and have the right attitude.

I have been refused entry on the grounds that one of our entourage was laughing too loudly and was accused of being "too boisterous". Townhouse, selective yes, racist no.
Adrian, London

I was very interested to see the article on Inside Out about nightclubs in Leeds barring clubbers on the basis of their colour...

I wonder if anyone will be surprised to learn that clubs in Leeds are not only barring people on the basis of their colour but ethnicity in general.

I made the complaint because friends, family and I are so sick of being treated in the same way because we are English Gypsies and Irish Travellers.

We have lived in this town for hundreds of years and yet still we suffer like our fellow ethnic minority residents.

The final straw, after years of tolerating this treatment from doormen in Leeds, came on New Year's Eve.

A small group of pals, myself included, trying to enjoy ourselves alongside everyone else were rejected by a doorman who bluntly told us 'not tonight girls, we're not having your kind in here tonight'.
Kathleen Morrison

I am British Indian, I can remember 10 years ago in my home town of Birmingham and not getting into Clubs, even though me and my friends adhered to the clubs dress policy.

It was pretty obvious that as Indians we could not get into certain clubs, and seeing our white counter parts get in use to get a bit annoying.

One of my best friends is white and going clubbing with him was never an issue, only when I was with my all Asian friends did I find certain clubs wouldn’t let me in.

Just surprising to know it is still going on.
Tulvinder Shokar

I have tried going to Townhouse twice, been refused both times. I asked for a reason why and was told it was not in their policy to give a reason.

I asked if I was not conforming to their dress code (whilst wearing blue jeans shoes and long sleeve shirt) so I would know for next time as I was only visiting friends in Leeds but was just told to move on.

The friends who I go out with in Leeds are all white and have only ever been turned away once and given the reason as - full to capacity.

I am glad this has now been revealed as it seems these that these two clubs while being prestigious are just down right stupid to think that Black and Asian people are going to be any different than our white counterparts we are all there to go out and have a drink and enjoy ourselves.
Wayne

Me and my cousin were recently turned away from a popular nightclub in Coventry. When asking the bouncer the reason, he explained that we were not allowed in due to it been a "black and Asian night".

As I was meeting friends in there and they suggested I give it a try I was pretty annoyed (they had to come out and meet me)

Guess that this is OK in this day and age, but if it was the other way round it would be a different story altogether.

Just leaves me to add... is racism a one way thing???
Leon, Coventry

I'm a recent graduate and have been going out in Leeds city centre for 5 years. Me and my friends have also been refused entry to Townhouse a number of times, with nothing more than "not tonight lads" as the reason.

[At another club]... me and my friend are both Sikhs and we are required to cover our hair by our religion. Therefore when I go out clubbing I tie a patka (bandana), which is a simple version of a turban. I have been refused entry by doorman..., saying we do not allow bandanas in the club.

This is new policy, they tell me. I try by best to explain to them that I'm not wearing it as a fashion statement but they say it's up to the management.

I have then asked for the manager to come out and speak to me... she too said that we will not be allowed in wearing them.
This is absurd as they have a casual dress policy (t-shirts, jeans, trainers, some even with baseball caps) on Friday nights and we had shirts and shoes on as well.

Their policy is something new as I had no problems last year. Now when I went last Friday they didn't say anything to me at the door and the same people were on the door that refused me the week before.

Then towards the end of the night a doorman came up to me in the club and told me to remove my patka. I again had to explain to him that it's for religious reasons and I refused to take it off. He walked away and I heard nothing more about it.

I am heading back to the same club tonight for a University reunion party and I'm am sure what will happen. As you can imagine it is impossible to plan a night out at that club - I believe they are discriminating on the grounds of my racial beliefs which is unfair and against the law. Also I have no problems at work wearing a pakta and they have a smart office dress code!
Gurj Singh

I have been a Doorman for 16 years, both here the UK and in Australia/NZ, and as a white doorman working in Black clubs I have been ordered not to let in White/Asian men on many occasions.

Your story is very naive - each club tries attract a certain crowd and whether you want admit it or not some crowds/music don't mix and it's the Doormen who have confront the violence and angry people so it's better to not let it happen in the first place.

Sadly in this country there is huge amount of recreational drug use in clubs, and when it's mixed with alcohol and bad attitudes, the outcome is a fight.
Andrew

I am so pleased that this issue has been highlighted. I can speak for a large number of young Black and Asian males who have been turned away from The Townhouse in particular, for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Myself and my friends are in our mid 30's and as a group of 4, 3, and even 2 have been turned away from the Townhouse for absolutely no reason.

Then we have watched, as scores of Black and Asian men are turned away without reason, and our white counterparts walk straight in.

It has been going on so long that we have even begun to take bets on whether we would get in or not. It's disgraceful.

Speaking for me and my friends, we are well dressed young professionals, who have never been caught up in trouble on a night out in our lives. We have been continually turned away from the Townhouse, like we are a bunch of drunkard teenagers.
Ian Kennedy

I am writing to you regarding your programme on being rejected from clubs on the basis of the colour of your skin. I am currently a student at Leeds metropolitan university and part time door supervisor…

I have even experienced it myself being rejected from the Townhouse many times purely because of the colour of my skin with friends.

Now I have door supervision badge there is no excuse to class me out especially when I work there from time to time. I know if I didn't have my badge, I would get rejected the same way as the people in the report.

There is defiantly a white policy because when I use to try to get in before you would see people of ethic origin being rejected, even Sikhs. I do not condone racism at all and think they should be no tolerances for it in the multi cultural United Kingdom. I am glad that this as come out into the open because this expresses the true representation of major clubs in Leeds and Yorkshire.
Anonymous

I am 33 years old and have experienced this problem on a regular basis over many years. I am a qualified accountant, I work hard during the week and expect to be able to go out at the weekend and enjoy a few drinks and the music. However on countless occasions I have been refused entry to Townhouse.

When asking why, I have been told that they don't have to give me a reason. I have then seen large groups of white males walk in without any problems.

The earliest I have been refused was 9.50pm when they had no queue and the place was empty. I got there early hoping to avoid all that rubbish but me and my mixed raced friend who had travelled up from Chesterfield for a night out were told, "not to night!"

I have tried all those "splitting it up", "go in with a white friend", "try again in an hour" options but nine times out of ten it does not work...

I have been Dj ing( RnB,hip hop etc) for over 15 years, before RnB and Hip Hop became "commercial"... It annoys me that places like Townhouse will play the tunes and profit from it but won't let the people who have supported this music from day one i.e. black and Asian people into their venue.

The frustrating thing about this whole thing is that there is no viable alternative at the moment so come on promoters of Leeds... take on the Townhouse... there is definitely a market for it!!

To all the fellow Townhouse rejects don't suffer in silence any more... omplain to the licensing section of the council... This place has got away with it for far too long...

Big up all the Townhouse rejects...
D

After queuing outside Townhouse for 45 minutes, me, my girlfriend and her friend were turned away at the door. We were told by the doorman that there were too many girls (3) in our group. In front of us was a group of seven girls who were all white and very loud. The group of seven were allowed in without any questions or hesitations.

The only difference between our groups were, we were black and quiet and they were white and loud.
Ricky

I am also very happy that this issue has been highlighted. I have lived in Leeds for 4 years now (I am in my mid 20s) and ever since, neither me or my black friends have ever been allowed into Townhouse on a regular club night. I have been lucky to get an invitation to a party at Townhouse on a Tuesday when the doormen could not make up any excuse to turn me away, otherwise I would not know how the insides of the place look.

The latest time I got turned away I was with two Asian girls and a black mate of mine, and that night the doorman went to the extent of taking our money back from the cashier to return it as he uttered the well anticipated "not tonight mate"… If you are going to turn us away when we obviously are well dressed and behaved for your night at least be decent enough to tell us that we are too black to give you our business!
Concerned Leeds clubber

My male family members (who are, like me, black) have regularly been turned away from Town House and Rehab. It did occur to me that this was happening too often as it was just a small number of lads (2) queuing up to go in. I am so so so glad that this has been brought to light. You have no idea how demoralising this is to young black people who are law abiding and just want to go out with their friends. Thank you so much for highlighting this matter.
Jasmin

Not tonight lads! Not tonight lads! not tonight lads! These words will forever taunt me.

Don't be deluded by official government statistics. Although we're living in a multicultural multi-faith society, racism still exists in its current form. since the introduction of the relevant legislation, it has become more covert rather than its obvious open form in the past. I am an Asian male from Yorkshire and used to travel to Leeds frequently on a weekend. Both Rehab and Townhouse have in place a strict door policy… On numerous occasions I along with some friends have been turned away without being given a valid reason. 'Not tonight lads!' Four out of five times I had been refused entry with no explanation.

The one time I did gain entry was due to the fact I was accompanied by a group of female colleagues. The experiences were unpleasant and very disheartening… I am disgusted and appalled by the management at these venues and praise the investigative report uncovered by the BBC. It has been going on for far too long.

Unless to the contrary, I see no other explanation to this matter.
Leeds City Council and the SIA should review their training and licensing objectives.
Jav M. Ossett

I'm very happy this issue has been highlighted and hope something will be done about it; I'm speaking for a large number of black people being turned away from nightclubs in Leeds/West Yorkshire. I moved down from Birmingham myself - I used to enjoy socialising with friends, going clubbing back in B'gham but as soon as I got here in Leeds, I was just so put off and stressed out with the way black people are being treated because they never let us in and never gave us reasons why we were being turned away, and this has happened many, many times.. and the most ANNOYING thing is that they play hip hop, rnb etc... music of black origins and they don't want no black people in those clubs!!!! Why?? Why?? Racism???

And besides the dooormen only allow white people inside without even looking at the way they are dressed or anything, just because they are whites. I can assure you guys that there are millions of frustrated and angry black people out there in Leeds and they can't just do anything about it and thousands of white clubbers who deep down in their heart know what is going on. So what we do is just chilling at home or try find a club in Chapeltown etc... because going out in Leeds city centre is not different from gambling!!

And this is a real example that I have experienced myself… we were in the queue, there was these two whites males in front of us wearing dirty Reebok trainers with hats on, and me and my mate both black were very well dressed (decently) shirts, jeans, leather shoes and guess what happened?? The two white boys were let in and us turned down!!! and the strangest thing is that it seems like black people and Asian people from Leeds are quite use to it and find it normal now!!!! They are alright with the discrimination going on!!!!
Eric

I'm Ulises, a male from Latin American (Hispanic) origin and settled in the UK. I have also experienced direct discrimination… as I have been turned down, with no explanation whatsoever, even when I have been dressing smart. It all comes down to my skin colour (medium dark as you can imagine). I'm available if you would want to conduct an experiment and show that 2 out of 3 times… I will be turned down for no apparent reason. Thank you.
Ulises, Leeds

I just watched the programme about the above and I was turned away whilst out with a group of friends. I am mixed race and was out in a group of seven. Two of us were mixed race and… we were turned away with no explanation. We were simply told "you aren't coming in tonight".

However, they let the large number of white people behind us in and as we made our way to another club, we saw them turning 2 black guys away but letting the white people behind them in. We were all smartly dressed and having a laugh as it was someone's birthday and this certainly put a dampner on things.

Thank you for highlighting what is an ever growing problem.
Stacey, Leeds

My name is Steve and I'm 27 years of age & I visit the club Rehab on a regular basis. I usually visit Rehab on a Saturday night.

I really find this behaviour from the door staff bizarre…

The majority of people who visit Rehab on a Saturday night are a mixture of black, white, Asians, gays, lesbians & transexuals or drag queens.

Although I'm not saying this incident hasn't happened, I find this strange as speed queen's policy is to welcome all races and sexual preferences.

I find that just recently something so innocent is always been conceived as racial prejudice.
Concerned, Steve, Leeds

Clubs regularly refuse entry to black/Asian people and by law have to give no reason. These clubs in Leeds may well have midweek 'ethnic nights' but I was under the impression that apartheid was dead. Several years ago my mate with dreadlocks was refused admission to many nightclubs in Sheffield on the grounds that he had dreadlocks. Their defence when challenged by the 'race equality unit' was that they didn't let white people in with dreadlocks... Clubs, with their 'management have the right to refuse admission' appear to be above the law.

However, the statement by Rehab in your programme that said that admission to the club is dependant on 'age, dress and behaviour' is in fact illegal. They have stated quite clearly that they are prepared to refuse admission to their Club on the grounds of age. The people refused admission to the club in your story were clearly dressed appropriately, their behaviour was fine and they were definitely over 18.

This Club (if they have not broken anti race discrimination laws) should certainly be investigated under age discrimination legislation and I reckon anyone who has any intention of going to these clubs should think about boycotting them now.
Garry

It is an utter shame that in the twenty-first century the colour of your skin determines if you are or aren't allowed to enter a building. In fact, it's a disgrace.

Towards the end of the summer in 2006, myself and 5 other young ladies headed… for a night out. My white mates (3) went ahead and were at the door to enter, my fourth white mate was heading though the gate. However, myself (black) and other lady of colour were denied entry. Or rather it was phased as "not tonight ladies". I was utterly aghast, I stood there wondering what the matter was. I did ask why and was told "management orders". There was no difference with myself and my party except the colour of my skin.

Never had I experienced racism that blatant and in your face. I recall my dad's generation recapping of their encounters because of a fact they had no control over. I had never thought that my generation would have to experience the same insult.

It often leads you to wonder is the UK truly integrated and a metropolitan country; or are the owners… of establishments with these policies living in the dark ages?

On the hand, I am rather please the general public has been made aware if their ignorance. At least it is a step to eradicate underground racism.
Diane H

I am so pleased that this issue has been raised. I went out at the end of November on a Saturday night with a group of friends. There were 4 girls and 3 guys, 2 of whom were mixed race. We were queuing to get into Townhouse and when it got to us, the mixed race guy was at the front of the queue with his white girlfriend and they said you aren't coming in. When asked why they gave no reason and simply said you aren't coming in tonight.

As we walked away, they let all the people behind us in and they were all white. We then walked to a club further down and as we walked away, I looked back and saw them turning 2 black guys away but let the white people behind them in.

They therefore can't argue the club was full, nor can they say we weren't dressed correctly as we were all smartly dressed and had been in a number of bars earlier that evening with no problems. We weren't even drunk and were all laughing and joking because it was someone's birthday so there were no attitude problems.

It was disgusting and I only hope everyone boycotts the place as there is no room these days for racism. Not in such a city that is very multi cultural and it is forever growing and striving to be bigger and better. With this attitude, it will turn people away…
Kirsty in Leeds

I myself am a 27 year old Asian male and have lived in Leeds all my life. Since a very young age it become common knowledge that if you are planning a night out with friends, that attempting to enter a club in groups of more than 2 would be almost impossible. The usual tactic would be usually to split into groups where one Asian would be accompanied by a white male/female. On many occasions this would not be possible either and we would be refused entry due to excuses such as dress code or simply told "not tonight, too busy" where it would be clearly evident that entry was acceptable for others.

This often became common knowledge amongst all Asian males of my age and usually resulted in many parties being broken up and certain clubs avoided… I would like to thank you for highlighting this issue which has been going on for as far back as I can remember, and will hopefully now be addressed by both club owners and door staff. However in a city which claims to offer a complete clubbing experience for all, image seems to be precedence and if "you don't fit in, you're not going to get in" something nearly all Asian males have had to accept over the years.
Mandeep

Having watched tonight's programme I think it's a tad ironic that you had one feature on alleged racism in a nightclub already notorious for being difficult to get into, and another about the proliferation of political correctness. Anyway, that aside, although the experiment seemed to expose racist door policies I think you would need to do a much more extensive investigation to demonstrate any consistent discrimination. Having been turned away from the Townhouse many times since the day it opened, I would say that their main discrimination is against men, as it is with plenty of nightclubs and bars. They are one of the toughest though. It is very difficult to get into the Townhouse without queuing in total silence and maintaining a completely sober attitude. Any sign of frivolity or machismo and you won't even make it to the front of the queue, never mind inside the bar.

It's a shame the management of the club didn't have the nouse to come out and explain their entry policy as it only serves to make them look guilty when I believe the real issue is that they discriminate against everybody except pretty girls. I might add, to finish, that last time I was in the Townhouse it was absolutely packed with Black and Asian people and on a Friday night.
Nick

I have had same problem... One Saturday night I was out with my mates and was not allowed in just because I was with my Asian and Black friends, although I'm white. I was told that the place was full and we were rejected. Just as we walked off the white couple behind us went straight in without any questions asked. When I saw this, I went up to the doormen and asked why there were letting them in and not us.

My boyfriend is also a doorman in one of the other clubs and i have a very clear idea about what happens behind the scenes and I know that it's usually group of males who aren't allowed to go in, since this may cause problems, but I really could not understand why we were not allowed since I was with a mixed group of friends and we weren't just black or Asian or white.

Doormen just refused to let us in, apparently it was management decision, watching us with the camera above. But the irony is that I stood there curious to see who was going in and every single coloured person was turned away.

I think its absolutely ridiculous to discriminate people due to their skin colour, when in fact all they want to do is go out an have fun. I can understand that sometimes people aren't allowed to go in because of the dress code, or they've had bit too much to drink, but to not let people in because of their skin colour is absolute nonsense.

I would like to thank you for bringing this subject up. I'm white and I may not understand what it feels like to be discriminated due to skin colour but Ii certainly do not agree with racism, and I think it's time for everyone to admit that although we live in 21st Century racism still exists.
Tika

Me and friend tried getting into the Town House early last year at a very reasonable hour (around 8ish) and it was half-full with no queue and were refused entry, we asked why and they said that they did not need to provide a reason. This was very infuriating because we felt we were dressed well (wearing shoes) and only had a couple of drinks. This was the first time we had tried getting in for about 4-5 years but even when we went round that end of Leeds the Townhouse would regularly refuse us. We are both Caucasian.
Bryan

I have experienced the same treatment from doorman in Leeds night clubs. After five working days, I like to enjoy myself and go clubbing with friends but unfortunately, every time I face the word - no tonight. I think some night clubs in Leeds ARE racist.
DM

I'm 32 white male, and have lived in Leeds all my life - except for 3 years to do a degree in Liverpool. Every so often Friends and I will be turned away from clubs/bars for no reason - it could be 8 o'clock just as you get out of the taxi to be told 'no'. It's bouncers on a power trip. How many of the bouncers are black and Asian? To say they got turned away purely on race is ridiculous. What about when I get turned away, what's the reason then?
Giles

We are a group of friends who often go out in the Leeds nightlife scene.

With myself having graduated in Leeds, I have often gone to Rehab. This was a place we before the last year never gave any problems in letting any Asian and black males enter the nightclub. I can now recall over the past year where me and 2 friends have been refused several times, this being two Asian males and one black male. We have been told the same as the lads used in the experiment, that the night was for members only.

When actually checking if there was a way to become a member of the club, the club doesn't actually offer a membership scheme. In relation to Townhouse - this has been renowned for never letting in certain Asian and black people. Be this male or female. I can say that I have tried several times, dressed to impress as I've known I would be going there but then still being turned away. Throughout the whole of university townhouse has been known to… always turns away Asians and blacks for no good reason. This has resulted in friends who are girls not organising events there as they know half a crowd would not gain entry. This also includes work parties as we would be discriminated on entry and not visit the location. I hope that inside out can get some answers from this as it is the truth that the show has found and I am happy that it has come to light. Me and many friends never thought that there would be anything we could do, so I hope that something could be changed so that we do not have to worry about entry due to race and enjoy a fault free night out.
Sunny

I have been to both venues. Rehab tends to be more of a club for dance/break beat events. Townhouse is more an R & B club. So it is quite possible that these events may not let in certain members of the community as when I've been previously to Rehab, it's been mostly a white crowd and at Townhouse, a black & Asian crowd. I've not had problems at getting into either club though…

It seems to me that clubs in Leeds really want to have separate nights for different ethnic groups in Leeds. This seems to be more of a problem in clubs than in the bars in Leeds, which are generally well mixed. It's almost a form of apartheid!
Sarah

Dance and R&B is black music and what do most clubs play in them these days… yes Dance and R&B i.e. black music, so when you're black and being refused entry to a club or bar and music you enjoy is being played in there, it's maddening you shouldn't be thinking it might be because you're the wrong crowd. How can you be…if you're dressed correctly and you're not slurring your speech and stumbling all over the place you should be allowed in space permitting.

[And in response to another comment] I don't use or sell drugs. My friends don't use or sell drugs, never have - it's not our scene, but I can count on both hands the amount of times me and my friends will be asked by a white clubber on a night if we have any drugs for sale... it's ridiculous and very sad.
Steve