A Swindon pub landlady has been accused of protecting an alleged paedophile.
Police were called to an incident unfolding at The Kingsdown Inn, in Stratton, at around 8pm on Thursday evening (12 February).
A group of paedophile hunters attended the establishment in order to confront an 18-year-old man – but were asked to leave by pub staff.
The voluntary organisation, who ‘sting’ people who have allegedly spoken sexually to children online, have accused the landlady and her team of protecting the suspect.
‘We faced dreadful staff trying to protect the suspect’, a spokesperson said, and urged the management team to ‘reflect on these costly errors’.
In a statement following the incident, they pub issued a statement in response:
“Following an incident at The Kingsdown Inn last night, a group of individuals entered the pub and were asked to leave.
“Our landlady handled an extremely difficult situation professionally, keeping things calm and controlled while waiting for officers from Wiltshire Police to arrive. They attended quickly and took over dealing with the matter.
“Ourselves and the police are aware of comments circulating online and are very concerned to see unfounded hostility directed towards a member of our team. She was carrying out her role responsibly under pressured circumstances.
“We would encourage everyone to remain calm and allow the proper authorities to handle the situation.”
The 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communications with a child, and remains in custody for questioning today (Friday).
