Landlord in hunger strike over rising beer prices

01 October 2008 by
Landlord in hunger strike over rising beer prices

An Enterprise Inns landlord from Kent is staging a hunger strike in a coffin to highlight the excessive charges he claims are killing the pub trade.

Colm Powell faces losing the lease to three pubs in Tonbridge and blames Enterprise Inns for increasing rent and beer prices, according to a report on the BBC.

However the pub company - which was last week granted possession of the businesses in court - said he had broken conditions set out in agreements.

Powell, quoted as being "prepared to die" for his cause, has been lying in a coffin at the Punch and Judy on hunger strike until 8 October to make his point.

The publican likened the current plight of the pub industry to what happened to farmers during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"Our industry is being driven by greedy people while landlords live on the breadline," he told the BBC.

Enterprise said in a statement that it had sought to help Powell offering deferred payment terms, special discounts and rent reductions but as he had breached the terms of his agreements it had been left with no other option than legal recourse.

Read the BBC news story in full >>

Enterprise Inns pulls back from REIT plans >>

Up to 30% of beer-tied pubs uneconomic, warns analyst >>

Government must address dominance of Britain's largest pub companies >>

Lords' final decision on beer ties is not the last word >>

Government taxes and red tape damaging UK pub sector >>

By Chris Druce

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