A SOCIAL club is being investigated after regulars tried to kick out a woman who went into the bar for a drink.

Mill View Social Club, in Sunderland, has been accused of sexual discrimination after a committee member asked the woman to leave because it "upset" the regulars.

Locals say women get booed and jeered if they enter the bar.

The move to ban women from the club is not allowed under the Equality Act 2010 - which means clubs cannot discriminate because of gender.

And now the club, whose committee members have called an extraordinary meeting about the incident, will be investigated by the Working Men's Club and Institute Union (CIU).

A regular who did not want to be named said: "Often when a woman comes in she gets jeered at and booed.

"You are talking about retired miners and ship builders who go in the club and who are stuck in their ways."

Club chairman Billy Angus said women's presence "upsets" some of the men, but that it would now change its rules to comply with law.

He added: "No-one has come to us to complain of discrimination or we would have dealt with it."

Club secretary Tony Anderson said: "Quite a few of the male members were upset about it so the committee member went over and politely asked her to leave.

"It wasn't an order or anything like that and she refused and that was that. It was a man's bar since the club was built. It has always been club policy. It is tradition."

Mick McGlashan, general secretary of the CIU, confirmed the club would be investigated. He said: "We are a responsible organisation and we do not support clubs who transgress Government legislation.

"In this modern day and age it is totally unacceptable that ladies are treated a different way to men.

"Women are the breadwinners in a lot of cases and ladies are going to war for our country.

"If this lady goes to the Equality Commission she would have a case.

"A lot of clubs don't seem to realise that it is an offence and they can be taken to court. Some clubs are hanging on to the past and they need to take a look at themselves and they need to change."