Police Must Act!
14 Apr 2010
The police did begin this investigation but yesterday advised Ms Leslie that they would not be proceeding with the matter. They advised that they considered it to be part of a civil dispute between her a tied tenant of a pubco, Enterprise Inns, and Brulines from Stockton on Tees a monitoring contractor for the pubco.
Under the terms of her lease with Enterprise Inns it is clear that Brulines representatives can only gain admission to the premises outside licensing hours by appointment and to areas behind the bar during licensing hours by agreement. Sharon Leslie the tenant of the Trowel and Hammer said,
“A Brulines representative entered my premises at approx 10.00am in the morning, via a private entrance that leads to my personal accommodation, and also my back bar. This entry was without notice or permission or by arrangement. I was alerted by my comi chef that there was a strange man on the premises behind my bar, and came to see immediately what was going on. I then saw Mr. Dave Moorland of Brulines, behind my bar tampering with my bar equipment, and pouring beer from one of my ale taps. I asked him to leave the premises immediately. As soon as I asked him to do so he became highly aggressive and animated, waving his arms towards me in a threatening nature, and with a threatening tone said’’ I will go when I am good and ready, and I have finished what I am doing young lady, and you would be wise not to stand in my way unless you want this to nasty’’ To this I replied ‘‘do not think you can in anyway threaten me, I have asked you to leave my premises, you are pouring beer outside of licensing hours, and being it as I have asked you to leave, and you have refused, you have just broken another law, so I will ask you again to leave I find your behaviour very threatening and intimidating’’ To this Mr. Moreland replied ‘‘do not tell me about the law I’m ex CID, and I know the law’’ When Mr. Moreland said this he came inches away from my face and I physically cowered away from him. He is a very tall man and of big stature, and I was very scared. He then took some items from my bar, all bar sparklers that I had in a cleaning glass, he chucked them into a black briefcase and left laughing. It was then that I called the police to let them know of the offence, and the threats. I think it is completely unacceptable that the police are refusing to investigate a case of illegal entry by a representative of a commercial organization into my home. There would be an outcry if British Gas or BT did this. We have been brought up to consider that “an Englishwoman’s home is her castle”. Suffolk police do not seem to share this view and neither do Brulines or Enterprise Inns.I will not let this matter rest. I have asked my union GMB to now take up the matter with Suffolk police”.