NatWest wins legal battle against customer who claimed ‘Pride Flag Phobia’

A man who claimed that Pride-themed materials at a NatWest branch in Herne Bay, Kent caused him “severe psychological distress” has lost his legal battle against the bank.

Mark Jennings, from Edinburgh, argued that displays promoting LGBTQ+ issues at his local branch on 16 August exacerbated his mental health conditions, which include autism spectrum disorder, borderline personality disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and PTSD. He described himself as having a “phobia of Pride-related paraphernalia”, compounded by his Catholic faith, and said the movement conflicted with his religious beliefs.

Jennings requested that NatWest make “reasonable adjustments” by removing Pride materials from the branch, alleging that the refusal breached the Equality Act 2010. He sought £35,000 in damages for distress and inconvenience, claiming he could no longer visit the branch without suffering psychological harm.

The case was dismissed by Edinburgh Sheriff Court for lacking a “relevant or sufficiently specific claim in law”. An appeal was later refused after the court ruled that Jennings’ proposed amendments were “inexcusably late” and failed to present a coherent legal argument. The Sheriff Principal concluded that the original case was “irrelevant and lacking in specification”, and ordered Jennings to pay NatWest’s appeal expenses.

A NatWest spokesperson welcomed the decision, stating: “We are pleased the Sheriff Appeal Court has dismissed the claims against us.”