Man With Facial Disfigurement Told To Leave Restaurant For “Scaring Customers”

Oliver Bromley, 42, has spoken out about a distressing incident in which he was asked to leave a London restaurant after staff claimed that his appearance was “scaring customers.”

The incident took place shortly after Bromley had completed a treatment session at King’s College Hospital in southeast London. He decided to stop at a nearby restaurant for lunch, but what was meant to be a relaxing break quickly turned into a shocking encounter.

According to Bromley, who suffers from Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)—a genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow on nerves—he had barely stepped inside the eatery when the situation unfolded.

“I hadn’t even sat down,” Bromley said, recounting that as soon as he attempted to place his order, a staff member asked him to leave. When Bromley sought clarification, the employee stated that other patrons had complained about his appearance. “I asked him to repeat himself, and he said I was scaring customers,” Bromley recalled.

Bromley expressed both shock and disappointment at being asked to leave so abruptly. Despite the upsetting nature of the encounter, he hopes his experience can serve as a call for greater awareness and education about conditions like Neurofibromatosis in the hospitality industry.

“There’s a lot of naivety around the issue,” Bromley said, emphasizing the need for more understanding and acceptance. He pointed out that people have no reason to be afraid of his condition, adding, “It’s just something some individuals have to live with.”

Bromley attempted to contact the restaurant to address the matter, which he chose not to name, but after receiving no response, he reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police. The police have since classified the case as a hate crime.

Though no arrests were made, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the BBC that officers had visited Bromley and assured him that they take hate crime reports seriously.