McCooley's has responded to claims a 76-year-old man was denied entry to the bar because he was "too old".
Anthony Severs, from Vauxhall, told the ECHO he was not allowed into the Irish Bar on Mathew Street last month. Grandad and retired shipbuilder, Anthony, had been in The Grapes on the evening of July 25 and was going to walk home.
However, as it was raining, he decided to go into McCooley's for a pint and to shelter from the rain. Anthony claimed he was turned away by a bouncer who allegedly said he was "too old" to come in.
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A spokesperson from McCooley's confirmed to the ECHO that Anthony was not allowed in on the night in question, but they denied it was due to his age, saying there "may be a bit of miscommunication on the night". McCooley's has also invited Anthony to return to the bar and said it was "saddened" by hearing the incident had left him upset.
Additionally, the bar stated the member of security staff who denied Anthony entry no longer works for the security firm employed by McCooley's.
A McCooley's spokesperson told the ECHO : "As a bar and restaurant venue which specialises in live music and sporting events, we pride ourselves on creating a fun, vibrant and all-inclusive environment at McCooley’s, and so we are really saddened to hear that Mr Severs has been left feeling upset, and thank him for bringing this situation to our attention.
"Unfortunately Mr Severs wasn't allowed in after leaving the Grapes but his age wasn't a factor and there may be a bit of miscommunication on the night. Most of our customers, especially midweek are indeed older.
"He's certainly allowed back at any time. The external security person who he wanted the personal apology from no longer works for the security company we employ, but he has received an apology from the head of the security company responsible for employing her - in person. We are informed that this took place at their offices last week in the city centre.
"If Mr Severs would like to come back we'll certainly make sure he's looked after. He had previously refused to give his details to the security company when he met them so we couldn't contact him ourselves, as a venue. The Liverpool ECHO article was the first time any of the managers at McCooley's knew of the initial complaint."
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