Power switch-off costs pub money

A pub lost three days trade when a power company switched off the electricity because the previous lessee had not paid the bills.

Licensee Fred Bell took over Punch Taverns pub the Cross Keys in Selkirk, Scotland, after it had been shut for six months.

But he was stunned when just a few weeks after reopening staff from Scottish Power walked into the pub on a busy lunchtime and switched off the power.

The previous lessee owed the company £7,000 but Fred was told by Punch the matter would not impact on him running the business.

And to make matters worse pub manager Yvonne Ainslie who lives above the pub with her children aged 10 and eight was forced to live in bed and breakfast accommodation for three days.

She said: "It was a total nightmare. We will be trying to get some compensation because there is no way they should have turned off the domestic supply.

"We had worked so hard to get the pub up and ready so for us this was a disaster as we lost three and a half days trade.

"It was unbelievable, they switched off the supply while people were in the pub eating their lunch."

The pub has now reopened after Punch Taverns came to an arrangement with the power company.

A Punch Taverns spokeswoman said: "Punch was aware of debts being left by the previous owner and we took steps to address this.

"Despite our best efforts to highlight to Scottish Power that Mr Bell is not responsible for the debt, the power was still switched off."

The Publican ​contacted Scottish Power but nobody was available for comment.