A MAYOR has received a blanket ban from pubs and clubs in his home town following a row described as a storm in a shandy glass.
Licensees voted to bar Tony Cooke, mayor of Barnard Castle, County Durham, from 30 pubs and clubs for 12 months following a pubwatch meeting on Wednesday evening.
The decision to bar Mr Cooke, who is in his sixties and walks with the aid of a stick, came following a year-long dispute between the town’s first citizen and Andy and Sue Hill, proprietors of the Beaconsfield pub in Barnard Castle – following a row over how to pour a pint of shandy.
But Morris Race, chairman of Teesdale Pubwatch, said other licensees had also complained about his behaviour.
He said: “If a pubwatch member complains about any customer’s behaviour at one of our monthly meetings, our members can vote on whether or not to bar them from all premises.
“Usually that is done by a show of hands. But because in this case we were talking about the town’s mayor, members voted on a piece of paper.
“There were 20 members of pubwatch present.
“The decision to ban him was not unanimous, but the vast majority of members voted to bar him.”
Mr Race, landlord of the Wheatsheaf in nearby Staindrop, added: “It will no doubt be very embarrassing for the mayor to be barred but we will not tolerate abusive behaviour towards our staff. He should have behaved himself and set a better example.”
The blanket ban comes a year after Mr Cooke was banned from the Beaconsfield following an argument over a pint of shandy.
