Hawksmoor asked Tommy Robinson to leave after staff 'felt uncomfortable'
The restaurant chain has been contacted for further comment.Video footage, posted on X by a member of Yaxley-Lennon's group, shows a member of staff telling them that his colleagues felt "uncomfortable serving" them.The staff member is then heard saying that he had a "duty of care", adding that he would waive the bill for their drinks and apologising for the inconvenience. Posting on X, Yaxley-Lennon said: "Restaurants and businesses should not be political. We weren't loud, aggressive or inappropriate, so this can only be my politics."Tripadvisor has temporarily suspended reviews on some Hawksmoor restaurants due to an influx of reviews "that do not describe a first-hand experience". It comes after Yaxley-Lennon called for a boycott of the restaurant and for his followers on X to leave reviews. The steakhouse chain has seven restaurants in London, with branches in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and abroad.
'Huge amount of fallout'
In a statement Hawksmoor said: "On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. "The party left peacefully and politely on request."It added it wanted to welcome guests "regardless of background or views" and its team had to deal with a "huge amount of fallout... some of which is quite concerning". BBC News has contacted the steakhouse chain's CEO for comment. It comes after Yaxley-Lennon pleaded not guilty to two charges of harassing two Daily Mail journalists on Thursday.Yaxley-Lennon founded the far-right English Defence League, known for its protests against what it calls "radical Islam". He stepped down in 2013.
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The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tuesday briefing: What the fraught talks to reach a ‘Paris agreement for plastic pollution' could bring
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Greenpeace is calling for at least a 75% reduction in plastic production by 2040. But if an agreement can be reached, it would be the equivalent of getting the Paris agreement for climate negotiations. 'You can argue the Paris agreement hasn't done much, but there has been an agreement, and we just haven't had one on plastic pollution. So this is the kind of vacuum that needs to be filled,' says Sandra. What does this say about international environmental diplomacy? 'I think there was this real optimism in 2022 when the idea of a treaty was agreed,' says Sandra. Scientists were saying that getting a good agreement could be a gamechanger for cutting plastic pollution. But the winds appear to have changed. 'By last November that optimism had all gone.' 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BBC News
41 minutes ago
- BBC News
Oxford controversial bridge scheme cost rises by £3.7m
A controversial bridge will cost an extra £3.7m to build because of delays caused by a recent judicial review, a local authority has Oxpens River Bridge, which would link Oxpens Meadow to Grandpont Nature Park in Oxford, was approved last year and was supposed to have been built by against the bridge launched a judicial review into the decision earlier this year, which was dismissed by the High Court on all five counts in bridge was initially expected to cost £10.3m, but the city council now estimates it will cost £14m. Oxford City Council said the increase in cost was due to the inflation of construction costs, caused by the delay from the judicial a report prepared ahead of a scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, the council said it was working with potential benefactors, including Homes England and the University of Oxford, to bridge the funding gaps. Construction work on the bridge is set to begin in early 2026, with a view to be completed by February Friends of Grandpont Nature Park, who brought the judicial review, said it "hopes to save [the taxpayer] millions by scrapping the project altogether".The group has submitted an appeal against the high court decision, and is waiting to hear whether it can city council previously said the bridge would provide a walking route between Osney Mead and Oxpens - with both areas set for regeneration with new homes and for the bridge currently consists of £8.8m from the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, and £1.5m from the Housing and Infrastructure Fund from Homes opposed to the development argue locals would lose a cherished nature park, emphasising that there is already a bridge a short distance away that could be fixed instead. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why will Heathrow's third runway be such a long haul?
Q On Heathrow: why will it take 10 years to build what is basically a small road? Aaron M A Heathrow airport has just published its long-awaited plans for a third runway. They are basically the same as those recommended by the Davies Commission a decade ago after years of consultation: a 3,500m runway to the northwest of the present airport. In one sense, this is a road a couple of miles long. So why indeed should it take 10 years to build and cost £21bn (plus an additional £12bn for terminal capacity)? First, because even after years of discussion that have led to these 'shovel-ready' proposals, the planning process will drag on for several more years. The Department for Transport is now considering Heathrow's proposals as well as cheaper competing options. When the choice is made, the next process involves work on a Development Consent Order (DCO). That will involve yet another public consultation on Heathrow's expansion and is likely to take around 18 months. 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With other Scottish islands unvisited, such as Jura and Colonsay in the west, I have no plans to return to the north. The same applies to many other destinations I have been fortunate enough to visit: I thoroughly enjoyed a week in Missouri last year, but don't feel the US state has many secrets left to reveal. And just last week I was in the Greek island of Paros; I don't expect ever to return to its simplicity and beauty since there are dozens of other islands in the Aegean I want to see. If, though, you meant where have I found underwhelming, thankfully, there are very few. On a cruise taking in Greenland and Arctic Canada, I found the ports of call mostly sad places, reflecting the deep social problems faced by these locations – though my view may have been coloured by the shambolic running of the operation by the Canadian travel firm. Conversely, there are some locations to which I will return repeatedly. They are mainly 'world cities' with many dimensions and are constantly reinventing themselves. These include Paris, Istanbul, Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Chicago and New York. (In different times, I would add Moscow and St Petersburg to that list.) And also great mountain ranges: the Alps, Pyrenees and Himalayas have so many facets and endless beauty. Q I am travelling to New Zealand in December with my partner. We have an eight-hour stop at Hong Kong. Is it straightforward to leave the airport and see the place for a few hours before returning for our next flight? Degsy M A Yes. Your baggage will be checked through to New Zealand, allowing you to explore unencumbered, and you will have your boarding pass for the onward flight. Thankfully, immigration into Hong Kong is invariably swift, and the Airport Express train takes only 24 minutes to reach Hong Kong Island, for a fare of HK$130 (about £10) each way. The final stop locates you perfectly for exploring Hong Kong Central – probably the most exciting part of this hyperactive territory. Head for Man Mo Temple, a Taoist place of worship dedicated to the gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo). Wander through the interior as colourful as it is reverential, with smouldering coils of incense providing a heavenly aroma. A short walk away, explore PMQ: the 'Police Married Quarters' dormitory complex built in 1951. The police officers and their spouses have moved out to cosier accommodation. Bright young sparks have moved in, filling the mid-century architectural masterpiece with workshops, galleries and boutiques. And along at Tai Kwun, you find evidence of the British colonial one-stop shop of crime prevention, comprising Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy (now a restaurant) and Victoria Prison – where, once upon a time, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh was on trial. Today, the complex is a venue for enlightenment. Begin your journey back to the airport by taking the iconic Star Ferry across the harbour to Kowloon, on the mainland. Make your way to West Kowloon Cultural District, a creative hub appropriately created on reclaimed land. The key attraction: M+, a vast new museum that celebrates Hong Kong's visual culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Like Tate Modern in London and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the structure itself is as compelling as the contents. Kowloon station is a five-minute walk away – and in just 22 minutes the Airport Express will whisk you back to the space-age terminal for your onward flight. Security is swift, so plan to be back at the airport just an hour or so before departure.
