Irish Travellers have described being banned from pubs, restaurants and holiday parks across the UK, as part of a devastating “campaign of discrimination” that is excluding them from public life.

The revelation this month by the i Paper that Pontins drew up a list of surnames designed to keep Irish Travellers out has been described as a “Me Too” moment by campaigners. They say it is just the tip of the iceberg of the racism faced by the community and expect more whistleblowers to come forward...

The Traveller Movement said their organisation is regularly sent evidence of explicit racism, with recent cases including a pub putting a sign refusing Travellers entry; a sun bed salon threatening to ban travellers completely; and a sign stating the gates to a meadow would be closed because there are Travellers in the area. The organisation is working on legal proceedings to get these signs removed...

But civil rights organisations say this whack-a-mole approach in tackling the “profound” racism faced by Travellers in the UK is limited and call for the government to implement a national strategy to tackle this discrimination. They warned many incidents go unnoticed because people settle out of court and sign non-disclosure agreements.

Michelle Mahoney, 45, a mother of two, who lives in east London, said she was shocked when a booking she made with Butlin’s was suddenly cancelled and she was given a refund. When she called the company to inquire why, she was told it was because her husband wasn’t registered on the electoral register. When Mahoney, who is registered, asked if she and the children could go instead, she was told no...

A spokesperson for Butlin’s said: “We undertake identity checks to ensure we know who is staying with us for the safety and security of all our guests. There are a wide variety of methods by which these checks can be fulfilled and these include use of the electoral register.

“These checks apply to each and every guest visiting Butlin’s and we have worked closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ensure these procedures are fair and are non-discriminatory. We continually review and update our procedures.”

The spokesperson added that training, which is kept under constant review, is provided to staff.