BAR STAFF at a popular city venue have received death threats after a "tired manager" mistook the gender of a transgender customer.

A manager at Bar Bloc on Bath Street made the mistake of confronting the person when they tried to go in to the male toilets last weekend.

The person, who identifies as a man, was asked to use the female toilet and told 'you look like a woman' when they explained they were a transgender man.

The bar has apologised to the man by phone and again on Thursday when they came to the venue, and has consulted with t the Scottish Transgender Alliance on how to improve staff awareness.

However online trolls have sent the city watering hole a barrage of abuse, slating its reputation and accusing staff of being transphobic.

Venue manager Chris Cusack told the Evening Times: "The manager blurted out 'you look like a woman' and then realised immediately what he had done.

"The man in question was obviously offended, and angry, so he posted online about it which I can completely understand.

"The manager immediately told us he had made a really stupid mistake, and the next morning we phoned the person and apologised and asked to meet him in person.

"We acknowledged this was absolutely our fault but things started to blow up online afterwards."

The torrents of abuse have continued from online bullies, and the venue's sound engineer has received dozens of death threats and hate messages after defending his workplace's efforts to resolve the problem.

Chris explained: "He received dozens, about 34 messages of hate in his inbox including death threats, telling him to f-off and die and saying 'How would you feel if I came round to your house just now..." that kind of idea.

"He was pretty upset about that.

"That's when we felt as though we had to say something."

Chris has now hit back at the bullies and those demanding they publicly apologise with a statement on Bloc's website which reads: "This is not about you. F***k you."

He said they have vowed to improve the training of staff and admitted it was "probably overdue", adding they want customers to feel safe and at ease.

The statement also explains the basement venue is too small to have the luxury of unisex toilets.

It reads: "As I say, BLOC has since met in person with the individual who was the recipient of the initial offence on Saturday and both our senior management and the duty manager from Saturday night took that opportunity to make a personal apology.

"We made it clear that we will aim to do better in the way we handle the complex issues they face.

"The conversation was friendly and they were gracious in their acknowledgement of the clumsy mistake that lay at the heart of it all.

"Transgender persons always have and always will be valued just as highly as any other customer.

" But as for some elements of 'the mob' swamping our websites and targeting our staff? F**k you."