Bristol pubs and cars attacked by scythe vandal
A man armed with a garden scythe went on a rampage of destruction through south Bristol, smashing pub windows and car windscreens.
Three pubs were attacked in less than 20 minutes in Brislington. Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused.
The man with the scythe was caught on CCTV and a suspect was arrested within hours of the attacks.
The first incident took place at 4.28am yesterday at The Pilgrim Inn in Hollywood Road.
A man walked along the street and smashed the windows of a car parked in the street before shattering seven windows at the pub nearby.
The double-glazed windows, made of toughened glass, will cost at least £1,500 to replace.
Landlord Brett Roland, aged 42, had taken over the pub just over a day earlier.
He was at his home on Allison Avenue when the man began smashing windows.
He said: "Me and my partner only took over the pub on Monday.
"I haven't even pulled a pint yet.
"I was born and bred here. This is my local.
"We were shut on Monday night because there were bits and pieces to do and we wanted to make sure everything was right before we opened and then this happened."
Mr Roland, who used to run a chain of pound shops before becoming a pub landlord, said the damage was a real setback.
At 4.41am the man with the scythe was caught on CCTV again, this time smashing windows at The Bloomfield Inn in Bloomfield Road.
Three cars parked outside were also damaged.
Landlord Steve Hayes, 50, said: "Windows in my Vectra, my brother-in-law's car and another car were smashed along with several windows of the pub.
"It will cost about £1,500 to replace them.
"This sort of vandalism is rare in Brislington, though this isn't unique."
The worst hit pub was The Sandringham in Sandy Park Road, where more than a dozen panes of glass on two sides of the building were smashed.
Landlord David Lewis, 46, was asleep upstairs in the pub when the man with the scythe struck at about 4.45am.
He said: "I was woken by the sound of somebody trying to kick in the door. Then the windows were smashed.
"I came down to investigate but he had gone by then.
"I've got a good idea who it was."
● A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with the damage and was due to appear before magistrates today.
18 Comments
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by Lia, Speedwell
Thursday, June 04 2009, 1:17AM
“I HAD TO GO THURSTY CUZ OV THAT PILLUK, PUT HIM BACK IN THE MENTALHOSPITAL(((”
by george, Briz
Saturday, May 30 2009, 3:34PM
“Wonder what this gentlemans punishment will be, slapped wrist & told not to do it again? Or lack of evidence. If i could afford it i think it's time to move out of Brislington.”
by margaret, hartcliffe
Saturday, May 30 2009, 12:43AM
“matt , i beg to differ with you about your comments about being one step away from being hartcliffe, i was brought up in brislington went to brilington school , i had my wedding reception in the pilgrim 44 years ago and whilst wheni lived there it was a nice area it isnt now , i have now lived in hartcliffe for 40 years and would not be afraid to visit and drink in any of the pubs in the area ,although i dont visit pubs ,i live close to one and have no problems”
by mat, brislington
Thursday, May 28 2009, 11:18PM
“i live in bellevue pk just off hollywood road next to the pilgrim.
i bought my house because i could not afford to continue living in redland when i rented,
this area is full of vermin. there are no pubs worth going in apart from the kings. the kings does good beer but is clicky in terms of the locals. the staff are excellent
the pilgrim has had at least 8 landlords in the 3 years i have been here. i went there 3 months ago and none of the male toilets had doors on. i asked the landlord why and he said" to stop the druggies"
why did he not refuse them entry rather than force his customers to use a toilet with no doors.
i live in bellevue pk a street away and most of my neighbours are honest working class people. however the undesireable element of my street all drink in the pilgrim.
scum of all scum.
i grew up in cinderford and we had terrifying places but the pilgrim is the worst.
all of brislingtons pubs are terrible. the sandringham mentioned is the clickiest place ever. i was walking back from bocabar and stopped for a drink. i asked for ice in my wife's drink and was told that " i am not in Hollywood now"
good to see customer service is their main aim.
every day now there is a huge fat man selling fruit and veg in the bus stop outside the sandringham.
if thats what fruit and veg does i will put chip fat on my muesli!!
basil fawlty would be seen as an improvement in brislington pubs
like i said before the kings is great. however because it is decent the locals are protective nad therfore clicky.
vandalism is regular in brislington. i have had my mercedes vandalised 5 times in 3/4 years.
reading in the BEP about the amount of money the council has from different projects like the hollybush in rebuild i wonder why it's not spent here.
we are one step awat from being a hartcliffe”
by jo, briz
Thursday, May 28 2009, 7:21PM
“if it was your living room windows brian would you be best pleased i think not. life maybe harsh but it is real lowlife behaviour dont you think? and no im not drunk”