Pub landlord and wife forced out over smoking incident

A pub landlord is having to climb a scaffolding staircase to get into his first-floor flat through a window after being sacked for smoking in his own bar.

Paul Brown, licensee at the Brown Cow in Hope Street, off Walmgate, York, said he lit up after closing the pub early one night, believing that smoking legislation would not apply when the pub was shut But a licensing officer carrying out a routine check spotted him and fined him £50. Mr Brown said he had now been sacked for “gross misconduct” by Samuel Smith’s Brewery.

He said he and his wife, Carol, were able to stay in the flat for the time being, but because the brewery did not want them going through the pub to get to their accommodation, it had arranged for scaffolding to be erected at the back so they could climb in through a first floor window.



Mr Brown said when he had been fined, he had thought about fighting it but then decided to pay up and forgot all about it. But last week, an area manager from the brewery had told him he was being sacked for gross misconduct and he had to quit running the pub on the spot.

He said he was able to continue living in the accommodation upstairs for the time being, but the brewery did not want him gaining access through the bar and had therefore changed the locks on the door into their flat. It had then ordered contractors to install scaffolding at the back of the pub, so as to create a staircase up to a first-floor window, through which he and his wife had to climb to get into their home.

A tearful Mrs Brown said: “I can’t believe this has happened. They make us feel like criminals – all because Paul had a ciggy.”

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