A DEAF man who was turned away from a club with his 'hearing' dog earlier this year says he is still being regularly told his dog is not allowed in shops and pubs.

Ian Brink was told he could not enter the Royal British Legion Club in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, with his dog, Jumble, last July, and that he could only come inside for lunch if his dog remained outside.

But Jumble is vital to Mr Brink, who is profoundly deaf and requires two hearing aids, meaning he was forced to leave.

The club later admitted that they were not aware of dogs for the deaf, and vowed to reconsider its stance.

But Mr Brink says that in many other shops and clubs, he still encounters similar difficulties, which has affected his confidence and means he goes out less.

"I am still being stopped when entering local shops until I explain that my dog is a hearing dog," said Mr Brink, from Porter Close, in Newton Aycliffe.

"While in shops, members of the public look at me and my dog in utter astonishment, which can be very off-putting."

Mr Brink added that there are rarely any problems once he has explained the dog's purpose, but said that many staff were clearly still unaware of dogs for the deaf, which causes embarrassment and problems for both parties.

"They are just not aware of the fact. They are very apologetic and feel a bit silly. But in the meantime, people look at me and stare."

Mr Brink got Jumble, a former rescue dog, in February and needs her by his side 24 hours a day. The dog's lead is clearly marked to show that she is a hearing dog.

He said: "I would like to raise awareness and highlight the work of hearing dogs and other assistance dogs to members of the general public and shopkeepers.

"I don't go to many shops now, or pubs or clubs. I feel quite restricted and it shouldn't be like that."