Shop ban for non-English speakers

A post office manager in Nottingham is refusing to serve people who can't speak English. Deva Kumarasiri, who's originally from Sri Lanka, runs the branch in Sneinton Boulevard. It's an area where lots of people from different backgrounds live.

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Deva Kumarasiri was born in Sri Lanka and came to live in Britain 18 years ago

You've said you're not going to serve people who can't speak English at your Post Office. Why have you decided to do that?

There are three reasons behind it. One, I'm doing a job. I'm giving a service. I can't give a proper service if I don't know what these people are asking me. At the end of the day, if I make a mistake it can come back on me. So the other thing is we have to get these people to learn the language to get integrated.

If somebody doesn't stand up and say, 'Right, hang on a second, if you can't speak the language, if you're not taking an effort to do so, somebody has to do something', so that's why I carefully thought about it and found the few people who keep coming to me and telling me in their language what they want, which I'm having a bit of a problem [with], and holding the queues as well. That's why I decided, 'Right, now you have to go and learn the language or, if not, I can't help you'.

You could be breaking laws by refusing to serve people who can't speak English. Isn't it a bit harsh to be turning people away?

This is the problem. How can I give a service if I can't understand what they are telling me? How can I assume something and do something? It might be wrong. If I'm wrong, they might come back to me.

You're Sri Lankan. You speak other languages, so you know how hard it must be coming to the UK. Does that not make you want to help people who can't speak the language?

Why is it that we have to ask people to learn so many languages? Britain is British, its [language is] English, and I'm proud to be British Deva Kumarasiri on why he's banning non-English speakers

I'm not banning people who can't speak a little English. There's a thing, 'Can you help me please?', that's a very, very easy thing to learn. If somebody's coming here and not even using that bit, then I have to say, 'Sorry, that's it'.

I came to this country with English knowledge anyway, but why are we letting people come in and not trying to get into the society by learning English? Why are we giving in to them? British law, British culture, and everything is written in English. If a person comes here and tries to settle down here, if they don't want to learn English that means they're not going to understand the law or anything.

How's it gone down with the people who you have turned away? Are they upset?

They're coming back. They're good friends of mine anyway. They're still coming back. They either bring somebody with them or some of the ladies have already started learning the language.

I have a dictionary behind me and some of them bring in dictionaries as well - so they're not banned at all, they're still coming, but if there's any shouting [I] make them understand that they have to learn the language to get a better service and now I don't get that much of a queue either.

There are so many translations in libraries and other public service areas because the government wants to include these people. Why are you going to such lengths?

No, we shouldn't give any interpreters or books - why? Why is it that we have to ask people to learn so many languages? Britain is British, its [language is] English, and I'm proud to be British, and I have only one language. My other language, I keep it in the house, I practice that with my wife and when we get together with friends, but outside I speak English. That's the way I work.

Why can't they speak the language? 95% of minorities want to be British, and there's 5% who doesn't take the effort to do that, which means anybody looking at the other people thinks they are the same.

Deva Kumarasiri was talking to Newsbeat presenter Tulip Mazumdar.