Landlord hit by £5k bill over tent wrangle

A pub landlord has been ordered to pay a Black Country council £5,000 after a row erupted over an inflatable tent.

Wayne Etheridge, owner of the Cross Sports Bar in Oldswinford, had put the tent up in the pub car park for England matches during the World Cup.

The 16m wide structure covered a 20ft screen and rows of chairs for punters. He had been told he could only put the tent up for an hour before each match and must take it down 45 minutes after the final whistle.

But a court ruled yesterday that he had put the tent up for a number of hours during the days of each match. He must now pay Dudley Council £5,000 court costs.

And he told the Express & Star today it would mean he would be forced to put his pub on the market.

At Dudley County Court, District Judge Roderick Henderson said Mr Etheridge had "deliberately" breached the terms of an injunction enforced on June 10. Bur Mr Etheridge, aged 41, claimed he had been carrying out vital health and safety checks.

Originally, Mr Etheridge wanted to put up the tent for the whole tournament.

But Dudley Council told him to apply for planning permission. When Mr Etheridge appealed, an injunction was enforced at Dudley County Court, stating he could put up the tent — but for the England matches only, and within strict time limits.

Days later, local residents informed the council they had seen Mr Etheridge put the tent up for longer.

He appeared before Dudley County Court yesterday charged with being in contempt of court, for breaching the order three times.

The court heard he had put up the tent at 10am on June 12 and deflated it four hours later, before putting it up again.

He then set the tent up again on June 18 at 12.30pm. That time he took it down again at 3pm and then blew it up for match at 7.30pm. Another charge of setting up gazebos illegally was dismissed by the judge.

Mr Henderson said Mr Etheridge "deliberately pushed the limits of what he could get away with".