The owner of the Sam Smiths chain regularly turns up unannounced at his pubs

A pub has been closed after staff allowed drinkers to flout rules banning the F-word and sending texts, regulars believe.

Officials from Sam Smiths are thought to have turned up at the Cheshire Midland pub in Hale, Greater Manchester, and found customers were swearing and using their mobile phones, which is against their rules.

The chain introduced the phone rule last year to encourage people to talk to one another and foul language was banned in 2017. Anyone wanting to use their phone must go outside.

Owner of the brewery Humphrey Smith, 74, also banned jukeboxes, slot machines and televisions in previous edicts.




He is rumoured to regularly turn up to his pubs incognito to check up on staff.

During the unannounced ‘inspection’ at the Cheshire Midland, a customer claimed he was told by representatives to stop texting before it was announced the pub would be closing.

Stock and flower baskets were removed from the Cheshire Midland pub in Hale (Picture: Cavendish)

Stock was removed from the bar and flower baskets were removed and the pub has remained closed since last Thursday.

No official reason has yet been given for the closure.

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Craig Calder said: ‘My father was in there last Thursday when it got closed and he was briefly on his phone sending an important text when he was approached by one of the brewery representatives.

‘However he was not asked politely to stop using his phone but was threatened. I hope Sam Smiths brewery’s know what kind of behaviour is happening here, it’s a disgrace and I for one will never step foot in a Sam Smiths brewery again.’

Another local said: ‘The ban on phones was known about at the pub but was never really enforced as the bar staff accepted some of the punters had to keep an eye on their phones.

Locals believe the closure may be related to rules being broken – there’s no official word yet (Picture: Cavendish)

‘They were’t simply sitting there in silence tapping on their mobiles – it was usually to check on emails or texts for work colleagues, friends or family – or even to help with research if they were talking about current affairs or the football.

‘As far for the swearing, unfortunately there is a lot to swear about these days – and it’s not as if it’s a well known family pub.

‘The customers were happy with the ban on jukeboxes and TVs and fruit machines but this was a ban too far. It just seems ridiculous that the brewery want to treat its paying customers like children rather than adults.’

A statement from Have Civic Society on Facebook said: ‘Sadly heard today that the Cheshire Midland was closed last Thursday after a visit from the brewery – swearing & mobile phones noticed = closed. Told the stock was removed on Friday – sad times for an icon of the village.’

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