A brand-new Wetherspoon pub in Basildon was vandalised just hours after it opened, sparking a police investigation – with MP Richard Holden slamming the ‘pathetic morons’ responsible
Wetherspoons have said they are “disappointed” after vandals attacked their brand-new pub overnight – just 24 hours after it opened.
The £2.75m pub, Sigered, King of Essex, in Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon, opened at 8am on Tuesday. Thousands of locals and visitors reportedly flocked to the area – some arriving as early as 7.50am – on its opening day, which the pub described as “outstanding”.
Overnight, however, ten windows at the pub were smashed. Wetherspoons said they are working closely with Essex Police.
“We are disappointed to report that ten windows were cracked overnight at our new pub. This follows on from an outstanding first day at the pub, with thousands of people visiting,” a JD Wetherspoon spokesperson said.
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Richard Holden, the Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, said: “It’s really sad to see pathetic morons vandalising a new business that’s helping deliver local jobs. I hope those responsible are quickly caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Jessica Power, the Labour cabinet member for regeneration, jobs and skills at Basildon Council, added: “It’s really disappointing to hear that obviously the minority has decided to ruin it for the majority.”
Essex Police confirmed the incident, saying: ““We are investigating an incident of criminal damage in East Walk, Basildon. This was either late on Tuesday October 21 or the early hours of Wednesday October 22. Anyone with information should contact us quoting incident number 104 of October 22.”
Sigered, King of Essex is managed by Gabby Alefounder, who was previously pub manager at The Colley Rowe Inn, in Collier Row, Romford, Essex Live reports.
Wetherspoons to open 30 new pubs
Wetherspoons currently operates 794 pubs across the UK, with the chain in recent years opting to close some of its smaller premises while opening newer, larger sites.
Owner Tim Martin has outlined plans to open 30 new pubs over the next year, telling the Mirror this summer: “We’re not throwing our hat in the air yet but are hopeful of better results in spite of challenging regulatory and tax regime.”
“We probably opened some pubs too close to others, which has held us back a bit. We can now concentrate on new openings more. In addition, we have only recently started franchising, which opens up locations such as universities and holiday parks where we’ve been unrepresented.”