Lake District garden centre bans political symbols after complaints from Jewish customers

Telegraph

29-03-2025

A Lake District garden centre has banned its employees from wearing political symbols after a Jewish family complained about a staff member sporting a pro-Palestinian badge.
The family were left upset and claimed the garden centre had 'no regard for the feeling and sensitivity of visiting Jews or Israelis '.
Following a complaint, Hayes Garden World, in Ambleside, has revised its employee policy to ban the wearing of all political symbols.
It is the latest in a series of incidents which have led to businesses and institutions banning the wearing of pro-Palestinian badges and symbols, following complaints by members of the public who say they were left 'distressed and intimidated'.
After they saw a member of staff wearing the Palestinian flag at Hayes Garden World earlier this month, the husband approached UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) to take up the case.
'No regard for sensitivity of visiting Jews'
The man, who is in his late 60s and asked to remain anonymous, said: 'At the checkout, my wife asked the checkout lady a question and she called over her male colleague. He was wearing a Palestinian badge on the lapel of his green uniform.
'The badge was large enough not to be missed or confused with something else. I think it is also safe to say that he wasn't wearing this badge for language assistance purposes.
'I was stunned. This was not a badge I was expecting to see in the heart of the genteel Lake District. And while I kept my feelings to myself, I was absolutely raging mad driving home to Manchester that this man could express his political views in a public store in such a blatant way with no regard for the feeling and sensitivity of visiting Jews or Israelis.'
In its complaint, UKLFI told Hayes Garden World that displaying a Palestinian symbol indicated support for the Palestinian cause and opposition to the State of Israel.
'Hostile act'
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, stated: 'It is inevitable that your Jewish or Israeli customers will be intimidated by seeing a Palestinian badge, apparently authorised by your company, on display as part of the Hayes Garden World uniform, and will consider that it is a hostile act towards themselves.'
UKLFI warned the garden centre that allowing an employee to wear the Palestinian flag could also be in breach of the Equalities Act 2010 'as it would harass Jewish and Israeli customers, in that it would create a hostile and intimidating atmosphere in the shop for them'.
Following the complaint, Hayes Garden World carried out an internal investigation. The firm said it found that the member of staff who had worn the badge had not intended to 'create a hostile environment and was not intending to cause offence to any persons visiting the premises'.
The firm, one of the largest garden centres in the North West, said it 'does not encourage or allow employees to wear any symbols or badges which demonstrate personal political views whilst they are working'.
Nevertheless, it said it would update its dress code policy and ensure that 'all employees are aware of the expectations regarding dress code requirements'.
The move came after staff at some of London's biggest NHS hospitals were banned from wearing pro-Palestinian symbols after complaints they were 'upsetting and intimidating' vulnerable patients.
Barts Health NHS Trust confirmed the decision after UKLFI said growing numbers of Jewish patients were reporting their distress at seeing clinical and medical staff wearing provocative slogans and badges in Palestinian colours. The trust's ban applies to its five hospitals: St Bart's, Mile End, Newham, Royal London and Whipps Cross.
It has also emerged that postmasters have been instructed not to wear Palestinian flags or badges while on duty.
This followed a complaint by UKLFI after a Jewish customer in Hornchurch, east London, had an interaction with a sub-postmaster in her local branch wearing a Palestinian flag.
A Post Office spokesman said: 'Post Office is here to serve people across the UK regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, politics, age or whether they have any disability. As such, we provide guidance to all of our operators about the importance of Post Office being a politically neutral organisation.
'Our area manager has discussed the matter with the postmaster, who has agreed not to wear the Palestinian flag badge at his branch. We apologise for any offence that may have been caused to any customer.'