A blind woman was reduced to tears when she was booted out of two Richmond shops for bringing her guide dog inside.

Eve Riches, 39, was told her dog, Jet, was not allowed in Superdrug or Marks and Spencer in Richmond.

The teacher from Colchester said: “I don’t regularly go to Richmond, I was visiting my sister in Twickenham and she felt humiliated.

“In both situations the member of staff wouldn’t apologise and was very angry. It really upset me and left me and my 19-year-old daughter in tears.”

It is a legal requirement for shops to allow guide dogs and both stores said the instances were a misunderstanding, despite the dog having a fluorescent sign.

A spokesman from M&S said: “We are sorry to hear of the misunderstanding concerning Miss Riches’ guide dog which took place in the M&S Richmond store on Saturday.

“We have contacted Miss Riches to apologise, and to reassure her that M&S welcomes guide dogs in all of our stores.”

A spokesman from Superdrug said: “Superdrug welcomes customers who are shopping with their registered guide dogs and we have apologised to Miss Riches for the misunderstanding regarding her guide dog.”

Miss Riches, had a degenerative eye disease diagnosed when she was 25, only has 3 per cent central vision and said shop workers should be aware of the needs of registered blind people.

She said: “It is about businesses sharpening up their procedures. There should be practices in place to make sure this doesn’t happen. It shows that in some way in Richmond there is a lack of training.”

There are more than 320 guide dog owners across London, which cost £50,000 each.

Rob Harris, a guide dogs engagement manager in London, said: “We were very sorry to hear about Eve's recent experience in Richmond.

“We have contacted the retail outlets concerned to remind them of their legal obligations under the Equality Act regarding the admittance of guide dogs.

“Sadly this is an issue that guide dog owners in London and elsewhere can face from time to time, but we are always happy to work with businesses to help promote greater awareness and understanding.”