Daily Mail's pub mole
ploy is pathetic: Martin
by The PMA Team
JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has dubbed the Daily Mail 'pathetic' for sending an undercover reporter to work in one of his pubs.
The Daily Mail reporter spent three days working at the company's Kings Tun pub in Kingston, Surrey at the weekend.
The reporter, Andrea Thompson, was looking for examples of irresponsible retailing. Thompson claimed staff are being offered a case of Stella if the pub beat a sales target of an extra £2,000-a-week in takings under its new trading hours. The member of barstaff who sold the most bottles is also being offered a case of Budweiser.
But Martin said: 'The Daily Mail is starting to make itself look silly in its exaggeration of the problems relating to the new licensing laws.
'Thirty-years ago pubs served 90% of alcoholic drinks, so extended hours then might have affected the situation.
'This Christmas, pubs will served approximately 50% of alcoholic drinks and the huge rise in supermarkets and clubs means that alcohol is already available to most people for 24 hours a day.
'We have been very open with the press about our policies and our approach to extended opening hours, and we don't claim that we are perfect, but this sort of cops and robbers approach by the Daily Mail is pathetic.
'The cloak and dagger activities of the Daily Mail treat our 16,000-plus employees and millions of customers with disdain.'
By coincidence, the Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme was filming throughout the weekend at the pub and found no problems whatsoever.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: 'This reporter clearly had an agenda.
'She even described Wetherspoon's policy on not serving under-age drinkers as excellent.
'Apparently, Wetherspoon's was chosen because it is the best-known pub chain.'
Thompson left Wetherspoon's employment on Saturday with three T-shirts issued by the company. Gershon added: 'She signed a contract saying that she has to give back the T-shirts when she leaves. They're worth £9.08 each - £27.24 in total.'
