Exclusive
'Complete rubbish!': Pub landlord sued by terrorist over 'deeply offensive' sign tells LBC claim is 'disturbing'
16 December 2024, 10:56 | Updated: 16 December 2024, 12:28
A pub landlord sued by a terrorist over a "deeply offensive" sign has branded the move "ridiculous", telling LBC that claims the man reported his concern to the pub in-person are "complete rubbish".
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Terrorist Khalid Baqa is suing the Saracen's Head Inn in Buckinghamshire over claims its sign is "deeply offensive," with the alleged victim adding the image left him "scared for his life".
Baqa, who served four years behind bars for preparing Jihadi propaganda, is suing the Chesham watering hole for £1,850 over the choice of signage - a move branded "disturbing" by pub landlord, Robbie Hayes, 52.
It's claimed Baqa has targeted approximately 30 other pubs with the same name, with the landlord calling the move "a weird spread-bet”.
Asked by Nick Ferrari at Breakfast whether Baqa had ever actually entered his premises to flag the complaint, Mr Hayes said: “I can hand on heart say that’s complete rubbish."
Following the complaint, Baqa has now asked for £1,850 in compensation from the pub landlord according to a letter he received from the County Court.
Convicted terrorist sues pub landlord over 'deeply offensive' name
“I was on holiday and I came back and I was going through a pile of mail and I saw a letter from HM Courts and Tribunals with a writ, which puzzled me," Mr Hayes told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast of the incident.
“I proceeded to read through the allegations, with this gentleman walking past and being offended and whatever."
The terrorist claims to have contacted the pub on four occasions and even visited the establishment in person - despite the landlord and his employees having no record of Baqa's visit or any in-person complaint.
Read more: Pictured: Woman killed in London ‘church wake drive-by’ as hunt for gunman continues
"I even question the fact he walked past the pub, given where he’s actually from and what he’d be doing in the area and whatever," continued Mr Hayes.
“I reckon he may have well done this all online… he actually says in the writ he came inside the pub, it's never happened," he added.
"When asked whether he was from Amersham, he didn't really reply - I think he did it all online to be honest."
"He said it was racist, it was xenophobic, it incited violence to a certain race and he was scared for his life when he saw it. I mean, come on, it's ridiculous!"
Noting the move "disturbed" the landlord, he explained that it would have cost Baqa around "£160 or £170 to send that letter".
"One of my clients in the pub said it was almost like a weird spread-bet," explained Mr Hayes, adding that punters suggested the aim may have been to pocket some money from complaints to other pubs using the same scheme.
"We have all different races and creeds and all different people that come in," the landlord explained of his 600 year old establishment, branding it a "dying trade".
"There's an Asian restaurant across the road, they pop in for a wine before work."
The former inmate has described the pub's sign as a racist "depiction of a bearded Arab/Turk", insisting the illustration on the sign is "xenophobic" and "incites violence".
He's also pledged to take on more than 30 other pubs with the same name if his case proves successful.
“It’s a complete joke. This pub has been called The Saracen’s Head for 500 years," the landlord told The Sun.
“He’s just chancing his hand. Of course it worries me — you never know with people like this."
Insisting none of his punters are racist and the name has cultural significance, Mr Hayes asserts the name is "simply historic".
“No one at this pub is racist, we don’t believe the sign is racist and the name is simply historic," the landlord continued.
“We won’t be pushed around and change hundreds of years of history just because some loudmouth wants to cause trouble,” he added.
Baqa was jailed for four years and eight months in 2018 after admitting five counts of dissemination of Terrorist publications.
After spotting the sign at the Buckinghamshire pub, Baqa made the county court filing for £1,850 in cash.
His submission claims: “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.
"I immediately complained to the pub and requested the signage be removed.”
He told the paper of his financial claim: “I’ve always been offended by pub names like these but I’ve only recently discovered how I can challenge them online.”
He added: “I’ve stopped all the terrorism stuff now.”
