Pub chain Wetherspoon insists poppies are NOT banned after a Gosport doorman turned away drinkers wearing the 'political' symbol

A group of six people wearing poppies were refused entry to The Star Wetherspoon pub in Gosport, Hampshire, on Sunday after a doorman told them the symbol could be "perceived as political." Wetherspoon has since issued a statement insisting there is no company-wide ban on poppies, blaming heightened security on an anti-migrant demonstration of around 400 people marching through the town that same afternoon.

The doorman told the group that pride flags would also be turned away under the same "blanket" policy covering anything deemed political.

Reform UK Portsmouth city councillor George Madgwick said the group were party members who had been out campaigning, and predicted Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin would "go ballistic" on hearing the news.

Wetherspoon said it has been a long-standing supporter of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and that the measures were a response to the day's street demonstrations, not poppy policy.