Hunger strike publican launches countrywide pub tour

A publican who went on hunger strike to protest at his eviction is to step up his campaign to save the trade by going on a pub tour throughout the country.

Colm Powell, former licensee of Enterprise Inns pub, the Punch & Judy, in Tonbridge, Kent, was carried away from the pub in a coffin in November in a protest against the pubco. He has also featured on the Money Programme on BBC.

Now Colm plans to strap the coffin onto his winnebago while visiting struggling licensees.

"We are going to head wherever a licensee needs help. We have had calls of support from about 400 people and about several dozen pubs have invited us to visit," he said.

The tour is expected to start at the end of February and carry on for six months. Cornwall, Dorset and Kent are among the first destinations and Colm hopes the tour stops will provide a boost for local trade.

"We are going to bring the coffin in with us to the pubs and organise some music while we are there. Hopefully, it will encourage communities to support their local pubs or otherwise they are going to lose them."

Colm is also planning to highlight the plight of publicans who have lost their trade, by placing a black cross for every closed pub recorded by the campaign in a field in Kent.

"This is a problem that needs sorting out. Ever since the pubcos took over more and more licensees have had to hand back their keys. There are probably up to seven pubs a week closing now and soon it will be twice that. Next year there could be 20 a week closing."

Colm is calling on organisations to sponsor the tour and the campaign to "save the dying pub trade". A video diary of the tour will be uploaded onto the website www.dyingforthepubtrade.com.