A FORMER police officer denied entry to a Belfast bar for wearing a poppy suffered discrimination, a court heard yesterday. Ted Cooke is suing the Northern Whig's former owners over being turned away from the city centre premises last November. Belfast Recorder's Court was told he was with his wife and daughter when door staff refused to let them in. He is suing Botanic Inns Ltd, the chain which owned bar at the time. Botanic Inns has since gone into administration. Mr Cooke's action is backed by the Equality Commission. His lawyers told the court that being turned away constituted indirect discrimination. Judgment was reserved.