A protestant man has settled a discrimination case against a Belfast bar owner for £6,500 after comments about his religious beliefs.

John Bittles, the landlord of Bittles Bar, Belfast allegedly told the man “we don’t serve Protestants” when he entered the bar for a drink.

The man reported that Bittles, whom he had spoken to before, said, “you’ve not been in here for about three years and we don’t serve Protestants, only joking, no I’m not." The comments were reportedly met with cheers from other customers.

The Northern Ireland Equality Commission, which supported the case, said that the comments left the man feeling embarrassed and intimidated, prompting him to leave the bar immediately.

He later reported the incident to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), where it was recorded as a hate crime.

Bittles has since apologised for any distress caused by his remarks.

“This is a reminder to all businesses serving the public that they have responsibilities under the anti-discrimination laws,” Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner of the commission added.

"People are protected from religious belief and political opinion discrimination in the provision of a wide range of services. It is important that customers do not feel intimidated or degraded because of their religious beliefs.”