Ritchie To Fight Pub Closure
By WENNMonday, November 9, 2009
MADONNA’s ex-husband GUY RITCHIE is urging his celebrity friends to sign a petition to keep his London pub open - following a campaign by local residents to have the venue closed down.
The moviemaker purchased The Punch Bowl in Mayfair during his marriage to the pop superstar and was allowed to keep the drinking establishment in their divorce settlement last year (08).
But the star-studded hang-out has been under threat since August (09) after local residents teamed up to protest against noise levels - filing a 23-page application to Westminster Council demanding action.
The document, which includes more than 70 complaints about noise, litter and anti-social behaviour, could lead to Ritchie losing his liquor licence and being forced to close his beloved pub.
The venue’s general manager, Rupert Pughe-Morgan, brother of TV star Piers Morgan, has written a letter to celebrity fans of The Punch Bowl - urging them to sign a petition in a bid to keep the doors open.
He writes, “Local residents have taken it on themselves to apply for the revocation of The Punch Bowl’s licence. They have applied on the grounds of public nuisance, harm to children, crime and disorder and public safety. We object to this vehemently. I sincerely hope you back our cause and want to keep The Punch Bowl as one of your favourite hangouts.”
