Punch 'trespass' host wins reprieve

A Punch host about to be kicked out of his pub for "trespassing" as his name was incorrect on the lease has won a reprieve.

Roger Whiteside, MD of Punch's leased division, intervened personally to

halt action after lessee George Scott emailed him to ask for help.

Scott, licensee of the Eastcote Arms near Northampton for the past nine years, was in Northampton County Court on Wednesday 10 June accused of trespass by the firm. The dispute centred over a name change — the name on the lease was that of a limited company that Scott had been involved in and that had subsequently been dissolved. Scott maintains he informed Punch of the change when it happened.

The judge awarded Punch possession of the pub from 4pm on the day after the hearing. According to Scott, the judge was "quite sympathetic" but asked him to set out a clearer counter claim.

He claims he was owed money by the pubco because of "over-rentalisation, breach of promise on price commitment and duress".

Scott, "incensed" after reading last week's article in the Morning Advertiser outlining Punch's need to improve transparency with tenants, emailed Whiteside who discussed it with regional operations director Giles Kendall. Within 15 minutes Kendall had called Scott. The lessee said Kendall told him the pubco was stopping any action, and he would visit the pub today to hear his complaint and "reach a resolution".

Scott hopes for one of two courses of action: a tenancy-at-will agreement with a rent holiday, or opening negotiations to buy the freehold.

A Punch spokeswoman confirmed that Kendall would "listen to his (Scott's) concerns and determine the appropriate course of action."