Thrown Out for How I Look – What Happened Next Will Shock You!

A man living with a facial disfigurement says he was asked to leave a restaurant in south London because his appearance was “scaring the customers.”

Oliver Bromley, who has Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow on nerves, shared his upsetting experience with the BBC. When he attempted to place an order at a restaurant in Camberwell, the staff reportedly told him there had been complaints about him.

“It’s a horrible thing to happen. I took it very personally on the day,” Bromley said.

Bromley has chosen not to publicly name the restaurant, saying he doesn’t seek revenge. Instead, he hopes to use the situation to raise awareness about his condition.

At the time, Bromley had been a patient at King’s College Hospital and, after receiving treatment, decided to grab a meal outside rather than eating hospital food.

After entering the restaurant, Bromley noticed a sign that said it was cash-only. He left briefly to withdraw money and returned to place his order. But that’s when things took an unpleasant turn.

“I went back into the restaurant to place an order, and they told me to ‘please leave,’ because, in their words, I was ‘scaring the customers,’ and there had been complaints about me,” Bromley explained.

Bromley found the situation baffling. He pointed out that there was hardly enough time between his first visit and his return for any real complaints to be made. He believes the staff simply didn’t like the way he looked.

Feeling hurt but unwilling to cause a scene, Bromley left quietly. He later lodged a formal complaint with the restaurant but received no response. Frustrated, he reported the incident to the police, but he was told that while it was classified as a hate crime, it was “unlikely” that officers could pursue the matter further.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the BBC that officers had spoken with Bromley and that, while no arrests were made, they take hate crime reports seriously. They reassured that all hate crime incidents are logged and monitored.

Bromley, however, doesn’t hold a grudge against the restaurant staff. He believes their actions were driven by ignorance. “They probably thought having tumors was contagious or something,” he said, acknowledging that a lack of education about medical conditions could have contributed to the situation.

Nerve Tumours UK, a charity that supports people with conditions like Bromley’s, expressed disappointment over the incident.

“We were extremely disappointed to hear news of the dreadful, but sadly not uncommon, incident that Oliver Bromley experienced,” said Karen Cockburn, the charity’s director.

The charity has since reached out to both the restaurant and UK Hospitality, the association representing the industry. While they have yet to receive a reply from the restaurant, Cockburn shared that UK Hospitality has offered to work with the charity to raise awareness of Neurofibromatosis within the hospitality sector.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Bromley expressed mixed emotions. Although he was upset that no further legal action could be taken, he felt that some good had come from the experience.

Though the incident brought pain to both him and his family, Bromley is determined to use it as a platform to promote understanding of people with facial differences.

“It’s not about me. It’s never been about me,” he said. “I don’t want retribution.”

Bromley remains focused on his goal: spreading awareness about Neurofibromatosis and ensuring that no one else has to endure what he did.