A YORK pub has denied refusing to serve a customer because she did not have a UK ID card.

Martina Diehl, 25, said she visited the Kings Arms in York on Sunday but was refused service when she presented her Dutch driving licence as it did not have a "legal English date of birth on it".

When she explained that her ID card was an internationally accepted driving licence (pictured below - The Press has blanked out personal details, including date of birth), Ms Diehl said staff still refused to accept it and she left the pub.

York Press:

The waitress and former York student posted her anger at the situation on Facebook, in a status which has been shared over 300 times.

Sam Smiths has said Ms Diehl was refused service as staff believed her form of identification was invalid.

Ms Diehl said: "I walked in with my friends and it was quite busy. I ordered a pint and was asked for my ID."

When she showed her ID she said she was told they couldn't accept the card. "When I tried to say I have never had any difficulty with it, they said I should listen to them and that what they were saying was quite logical," Ms Diehl said.

Sam Smiths, which owns the Kings Arms, said the manager at the pub recalled being shown a student card.

Chris Horton, at Sam Smiths in Tadcaster, said: "She is fully up to date and up to speed [on forms of identification].

"It was not a valid piece of ID...She thought it was a student card."

He said he did not want to comment further.

Another man has told of how he visited the Kings Arms the same evening with a Polish friend who was also refused service as her European Driving licence did not have a "legal English birth date".

George O'Hara, 23, said he and his friend Ida, left the pub (pictured below) after she was refused service. The Press is awaiting a response from Sam Smiths about this incident.

York Press:

Ms Diehl's post has attracted numerous comments linking the incident to the EU Referendum. One person said: "This is so upsetting! Especially with York voting remain! I'm embarrassed this is my city!" Another person wrote, "Unbelievable!!! And yet sadly and very believable, considering what we've seen."

Ms Diehl said: "I'm not sure if it was linked [to the referendum] but it feels now is a time we should stick together and it's important not to make remarks like that."

City of York Council said it is the decision of each individual licenced premises to decide what ID can or cannot be accepted. The council said it does recommend that it should be something which includes a photo, such as a driving licence or passport, or an ID card which includes the ‘PASS’ logo.