GK threatens rebel host with injunction

One of the leaders of the Greene King rebel tenants group has been threatened with legal action in a bid to prevent him circulating information about the company.

Host Andy Chalmers was given until 4pm last Friday to comply with "certain conditions" or risk an injunction being served on him.

The letter from Greene King followed a visit to Chalmers' pub, the Lamb at Wantage, by managing director of the company's Pub Partners division David Elliott.

The meeting between the two was said to have been conducted in an icy atmosphere and little headway was made.

Chalmers said Greene King wanted to stop him circulating details of price lists and other information he had acquired about the company.

"They said if I did not comply with these conditions, they would serve an injunction notice on me, but I have no intention of stopping," Chalmers said. "It appears we have managed to really rattle their cage if they are prepared to go to court about this," he added.

More than 90 licensees, mainly from the Oxford area, have joined the protest over the beer prices Greene King charges tenants. The licensees claim cheaper beer sold in the company's managed houses seriously undercuts their business, with a pint often 30p cheaper.

"I am expecting the injunction notice to be served on me at any time, but I have taken legal steps to defend my position," Chalmers revealed.

Rupert Croft of solicitors Maitland Walker, acting for the tenants, said a number of people already had information about the price lists. "It's a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted if Greene King is objecting to this," he said.