Soldiers turned away from bar after funeral

The two servicemen went for a drink at the Walkabout bar in Liverpool city centre following the funeral of Corporal Ben Nowak at the city's Anglican cathedral.

Cpl Nowak, 27, who served with 45 Commando, was one of four people killed in a bomb attack on a patrol boat in southern Iraq on Remembrance Sunday.

His two colleagues, who were among 1,000 mourners at yesterday's funeral, were turned away by staff at the door of the bar. Stunned bystanders shouted at the bouncers and told them to show respect to the servicemen.

Student Ben Booth, who witnessed the event, said he was shocked by what he saw. He told BBC Radio Merseyside's phone-in show: "I spoke to the bouncers and said their colleague had just died in the service of our Government. I am absolutely shocked that people would act this way to our soldiers."

A spokesman for Walkabout said: "As a responsible bar operator, we have a strict policy of refusing entry to anyone believed to be aggressive.

"Furthermore, Walkabout in Liverpool has a strict policy of refusing entry to anyone in uniform due to previous issues with uniformed customers. These policies are designed solely to increase the safety and comfort of all our customers.

"Two of the group were in uniform and doorstaff believed that other members of the group were behaving aggressively, so they were refused admission."

The spokesman offered his condolences to Cpl Nowak's friends, comrades and family and offered the group who were turned away a complimentary lunch. He stressed the soldiers must not be in uniform.