A taxi driver who refused to pick up a blind couple because letting their guide dog in his cab was 'against his religion' has been ordered to pay almost £600.

Charles Bloch, 22, and his girlfriend Jessica Graham, 21, booked a ride with Leicester cab firm ADT Taxis in July, last year.

The pair, who were both born with a visual impairment and are registered blind, were with Mr Bloch's guide dog Carlo.

But when driver Abandi Jamal Kassim arrived to pick them up, he would not allow the dog into his cab.

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Mr Bloch (left), who is registered blind, booked a cab with ADT Taxis in Leicester but was shocked to be told the driver would not take him because of his guide dog. Driver Abandi Jamal Kassim (right) claimed it was because of 'religious' reasons

Footage of the incident, which ended with Mr Kassim driving off and leaving the pair stranded at the roadside, went viral and Mr Kassim was today fined £590

The Muslim driver told Mr Bloch 'For me, it is about my religion.' Mr Bloch told Mr Kassim that refusing to allow the guide dog into the taxi was 'against the law'.

Footage of the incident, which ended with Mr Kassim driving off and leaving the pair stranded at the roadside, was filmed by Miss Graham on her mobile phone.

Leicester City Council, the licensing authority for taxis and private hire cabs in the city, were made aware of the incident after it was shared on social media.

Mr Kassim, 43, appeared before the city's magistrates today and admitted a breach of the Equality Act 2010.

He was fined £340 and ordered to pay £50 compensation and the council's £200 court costs.

John Moss, prosecuting, told Mr Kassim: 'You refused to carry out a booking that had been made by a disabled person and the reason you gave was because they were accompanied by a dog.

'That is an offence under the Equality Act because taxi drivers and private hire drivers cannot refuse to take a fare from somebody on the basis that they have an assistance dog with them.'

Mr Moss said that the law was laid out in the conditions of the taxi driver's permit issued to Mr Kassim by the council. Mr Kassim, representing himself, told the court he had been a licensed private hire taxi driver in Leicester since October 2012.

The footage ends with the taxi driving off (pictured) and Mr Bloch with his dog shouting after the driver: 'If you drive away I'll sue you'. Mr Kassim shouts back out of the window: 'Yeah, I'm ready to talk to the police'

He told the court he was 'unaware' of the law at the time of the incident but admitted the offence when interviewed by council officials.

Mr Kassim told magistrates he was 'scared of dogs', having been the victim of an attack in the past which has left him with physical and emotional scars.

He apologised to Mr Boch and Miss Graham through the court and said: 'If I'd known about the law this would not have happened.'

Magistrate Rasheed Cader told him: 'The duty is on you to read the conditions. You have been a taxi driver for some time.

GUIDE DOGS AND THE LAW Guide dog and assistance dog owners have important rights under the Equality Act 2010 (EA). The EA provides for people with disabilities to have the same right to services supplied by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants as everyone else. Under Part 12 of the EA it is also illegal for assistance dog owners to be refused access to a taxi or mincab with their assistance dog. Medical exemptions are available if drivers have a certificate from their GPs. Advertisement

'I find it difficult to accept that you didn't know what the permit conditions were when you applied and were accepted as a taxi driver.

'You have a bigger responsibility as a taxi driver that a normal person.' ADT Taxis have apologised to Mr Boch and Miss Graham and said Mr Kassim was no longer one of their drivers.

Mr Boch, a student at Leicester's De Montfort University, who did not attend the hearing, said: 'It started out as such a little thing and it's a shame it had to come to this. 'Really, it's something that should've been very easily avoided.

'Ever since it happened, the incident has been playing on my mind a lot. There's been a lot of worry about the outcome, and what other people think of me. 'But I'm glad it's all now done and dusted and I can put it behind me.

I do hope that, with the help of the Guide Dogs charity, our story has raised awareness of the issue and means it is less likely to happen to another person with a guide dog.'

Leicester City Councillor Sue Waddington, assistant city mayor for jobs and skills, said: 'Taxi drivers are legally required to accept bookings from passengers with assistance dogs, unless the driver has been granted an exemption certificate by the local authority.

'In this case, the driver didn't have any legitimate reason not to accept Mr Bloch and his assistance dog.

'We are pleased with the successful prosecution by our Licensing Enforcement Team and hope that it sends a clear message that this form discrimination will not be tolerated.'

Mr Kassim, whose taxi driver's licence is due to expire in October, will now be required to attend a hearing of the council's Licensing Enforcement-Sub Committee, on a date to be confirmed, where he will find out whether or not the permit will be withdrawn.