Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: UK News, Wetherspoons, Pubs
Dominic Smithers
A pensioner and his friend were booted out of a Wetherspoon after being accused of taking drugs.
Mark Greenfield and Keith Meredith, 71, were enjoying a drink in the beer garden at The Thomas Waghorn in Chatham, Kent, when they were confronted by staff.
The duty manager at the boozer came out and accused them of smoking weed, and ordered the two punters to leave.
Mr Greenfield said that he and Keith had actually noticed the smell of cannabis and had remarked at the time how disgusting it was. So you can imagine their surprise at being blamed for it.
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“We had about a mouthful of beer when we suddenly looked at each other and could smell cannabis or something along those lines," he recalled.
"We both said how disgusting it was. The smell was awful.
“Then, after a few minutes, the manager came out with a colleague and said we had to go because two of her staff said we have been smoking drugs. I told her she had to be joking.
“It caused a commotion. I looked around and she stole our pints. I told her she had it wrong, I am a respected guy.”
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Despite telling staff they were very much mistaken, the manager then claimed that Mr Meredith, who is currently recovering from a triple heart bypass, was also spotted rolling up a joint a day earlier.
“That was the icing on the cake," Mr Greenfield said.
The pair were eventually 'marched to the gate' and left.
Mr Greenfield later phoned the pub to tell them that it was a huge mistake and that neither he nor his friend had done anything wrong, but was informed that they had been barred.
“It was embarrassing, there was other people in the garden, everyone was looking," he said. "It was just totally embarrassing.
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“I am a father - what parent would want that? To have their children think their father got escorted out of a pub. It is absolutely ridiculous."
Adding: “I have never experienced anything like this in my life before, it is absolutely disgusting.”
In his official complaint to Wetherspoon, Mr Greenfield said that he was simply taking his friend out for a drink.
And he told the pub that he won't be returning in the future.
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A spokesperson for Wetherspoon has now apologised to the men for the case of mistaken identity.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and any customer who we believe may have been using drugs will be immediately asked to leave," the chain said.
“Unfortunately, Mr Greenfield was wrongly identified as having been using cannabis.
"It was only afterwards it became clear he had been wrongly identified. Mr Greenfield subsequently phoned the pub to discuss the incident.
“The duty manager apologised for the error but, unfortunately, he became personally abusive to her, in light of the comments made, he was asked not to return to the pub.”