A pub landlord has thanked the public for their “unprecedented” support after a convicted terrorist who is suing his establishment has now targeted two more pubs with the same name.
Robbie Hayes, who runs The Saracen’s Head Inn in Amersham, spoke out as Khalid Baqa expanded his legal campaign to establishments in Kings Langley and Hereford.
“The support from the public has been unprecedented, and I thank each and every person that’s helped me,” Hayes told GB News.
Hayes expressed frustration at the timing of the legal threat, noting: “This is something I didn’t need at this time of year. Like I said, it’s already a dying trade.”
Landlord Robbie Hayes has thanked the public for their support following the lawsuit
GB News / Facebook / PA
Baqa, who was jailed for four years in 2018 for preparing terrorist propaganda, is demanding £1,850 from Hayes’s pub.
Simon Belsey, who runs the 300-year-old Saracen’s Head in Hereford, revealed he has received two letters from Baqa threatening legal action.
“I don’t have the money to challenge this. It could close us down,” Belsey told The Sun.
Peter Dillingham, owner of the Kings Langley pub, was given two weeks to remove signs before Baqa “escalates matters.”
Robbie Hayes has defended his pub, The Saracens Head Inn, after a convicted terrorist filed a lawsuit against the name and signageGB NewsHayes expressed concern about the mounting pressure on pub owners, noting: “It’s a lot of money in this day and age, pubs are not profitable anymore, it’s a hard business to run.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
However, the Amersham landlord revealed he is being inundated with enquiries about the case.
“I’ve got people I’ve got to deal with, I’m getting a million phone calls, emails. People are interested, and I’m doing things like what I’m doing for you now,” he said.
Hayes expressed dismay at Baqa following through on his threats to target other establishments.
He explained: “Baqa has been true to his word. He said to the journalist I first gave the story to that if he was successful against myself, he would go for the rest of them. He hasn’t been successful against me yet, but he’s already targeted others – I’m flabbergasted.”
Robbie Hayes told GB News that he has reached out to the other pub landlords for support
GB News
Baqa’s legal action against the Amersham pub stems from his claim that the establishment’s signage is offensive and discriminatory.
In his submission to the County Court, Baqa stated: “While walking through the area I was shocked and deeply offended by what I saw.”
“I saw pub signage depicting a brown-skinned bearded Arab/Turk male with a turban and captioned ‘The Saracen’s Head’ This instilled worry and fear in me since it was clearly xenophobic, racist and inciting violence to certain people,” he wrote.
Hayes previously dismissed the claims on GB News, saying: “It’s a complete joke. This pub has been called The Saracen’s Head for 500 years.”
“No one at this pub is racist, we don’t believe the sign is racist and the name is simply historic,” Hayes added.