The deaf mother of a Little Mix fan has announced she will be taking legal action against concert organisers LHG Live.
Sally Reynolds had bought six tickets to a Little Mix concert at the South of England Event Centre in Sussex last September.
She had planned to attend with two friends who are also deaf, and their three daughters who have good hearing.
Reynolds requested a sign language interpreter from promoters LHG Live, but says was rejected “two or three times”.
Instead she was offered carers tickets and invited to bring along her own interpreter.
Reynolds told the BBC: “It didn’t have any reason behind it and eventually we became so frustrated.
“I wanted to share the same experience my daughter had – essentially I just wanted access to the songs.”
A few days prior to the concert Reynolds instructed lawyers to apply for a court injunction, leading to an interpreter being secured hours before the hearing.
However, whilst the interpreter was provided for the Little Mix show, she was not present for the warm up acts.
Reynolds said that she “felt that we were really part of the Little Mix experience,” but that the group “missed out” on the first two acts.
“It was very much a disparity of experience compared with everyone else,” she said.
“We only got access to the last act. If you went to a film can you imagine only getting access to the last 20 minutes?
“We had paid for our tickets like everyone else.”
She has now issued legal proceedings for the failure to make reasonable adjustments, as required under the 2010 Equality Act.
Reynold’s solicitor Chris Fry, of Fry Law, said: “People with sensory impairment actually want to attend musical and sporting events just as anybody else does.”
He added: ”The fact that you have a hearing impairment or sight loss doesn’t mean that you don’t want to be at the event.
“It is important that venues and promoters recognise that the legal duties to make reasonable adjustments extend to them.”
A spokesperson for Little Mix agreed with the message, saying: “The band welcome all fans to their shows, including those with hearing impairment, and encourage the promoters they work with to make provisions to ensure their fans can enjoy the concert experience.”
LHG issued the following statement to the BBC: “We received a request from Sally Reynolds to supply an interpreter.
“We consulted with her recommended agency and agreed to provide the professional interpreter of her choice for the Little Mix show.
“This included specific staging and lighting, and a set list in advance.”