A blind gran was refused entry to a Morrisons Daily store with her guide dog - because the owner has “severe pet allergies”.

Caroline Kennelly was left on the verge of tears following the incident at the new Saxon Fields estate branch in Wincheap, Canterbury.

Under equality law, the 54-year-old has the right to enter shops with her assistance dog Dougie.

But three signs in the shop window warn that no pets are allowed, with one referring to the owner’s allergies.

When KentOnline visited the branch on Thursday, the manager insisted they would continue to ban dogs - including Ms Kennelly’s - for this reason.

However, Morrisons bosses say the incident “should not have happened” and they are working with the franchise store’s team to find a solution.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission says employers should take reasonable steps to ensure that workers with allergies have minimal or no contact with dogs.

But it adds: “Reasonable steps are unlikely to include banning all assistance dogs.”

Ms Kennelly, who has just 3% of her vision left due to a degenerative condition, says she had been looking forward to visiting the store on Monday. It was the first time she had been there, and she had hoped it would prove to be a safer option than trying to cross the traffic in Wincheap.

She said: “I told Dougie to go forward through the door and, as I walked in, the man behind the counter said, ‘No dogs’.

“Dougie was in his full harness and working equipment, and I said, ‘No, I'm not leaving’.

“I stood there in disbelief. I'm saying to him, ‘You are breaking the law - you are not allowed to deny me access here’ and he wouldn’t listen.”

Despite her insistence about Dougie being allowed in, the employee stood firm and continued to ask her to leave.

“I was nearly in tears but I was trying to hold it together,” Ms Kennelly said.

“You can stand your ground and say I'm not leaving, but inside you are in pieces because it's intimidating and it's discriminating.

“I'm a very strong person, but when things like this happen it really does affect you.

“I wonder if I’m going to get another refusal somewhere else - it dents your confidence.”

In the end, a friend stepped in and was able to buy Ms Kennelly the things she needed.

Registered blind since 2003, she has a disease called retinitis pigmentosa which she was diagnosed with when she was 11.

It has left her with no peripheral vision and she cannot make out fine details further than a couple of feet away from her.

Ms Kennelly first got her golden retriever six years ago and she says it gave her a huge confidence boost.

“It sounds really cliche, but when I got Dougie, he changed my life,” she said.

“He gave me back all my independence, to be able to go and do what I wanted to do and just be my best mate really.”

Ms Kennelly has been in contact with the access team at the Guide Dogs charity, who reiterated it was illegal for a shop to deny entry.

Clive Wood, lead policy and campaign manager (regions) at the charity, said: “We are very disappointed to hear of yet another business refusing access to a visionally impaired person because they were accompanied by their guide dog.

“Every access refusal experienced by a guide dog owner is devastating and chips away at their confidence.”

The charity says a survey it carried out last year revealed 88% of guide dog owners have been refused access from businesses and services, despite this almost always being illegal.

Mr Wood added: “Assistance dogs are classed as a ‘reasonable adjustment’ in the law, as they help people with disabilities carry out day-to-day activities.

“Refusing to make a reasonable adjustment is against equality law across the UK and Northern Ireland.”

A Morrisons spokesperson thanked KentOnline for making the company aware of the incident.

"Everyone is welcome at Morrisons and so we have followed up with the store directly as this should not have happened,” they said.

“We are also reaching out to the customer directly to apologise.

"The Morrisons Daily store in Canterbury is a franchise store and we are working closely with the team there to find a solution.”

But this week the shop’s manager reiterated that Ms Kennelly would not be allowed in with Dougie because of the owner’s allergies. They said a staff member would do her shopping for her if requested.