This is how the barber saga looks to have ended.
The Q Gentlemen’s Barbers shop on Bishopthorpe Road has been boarded up after the property was seized on behalf of the landlords
It comes after weeks of the business defying coronavirus regulations. They were served with ever-increasing penalties – and now they have been ejected permanently.
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Metal grills have been riveted over the windows, and the door sealed up and painted green.
Two legal notices are now attached to the front of the barbers. They are both issued by Andrew Wilson & Co, court enforcers and debt collectors.
One says: “Under the terms of the demised lease, we as authorised agents on behalf of the landlord have this day re-entered the land known as 31 Bishopthorpe Road, York.
“Any attempt by you or your agents to attempt to enter these premises will result in criminal or civil proceedings being taken against you.”
The second notice says the goods inside the shop are ready to be collected by the business if they call and make an appointment.
They have until 14 July to do so or the bailiffs will “remove and dispose of the goods”.
The saga
Q Gentlemen’s Barbers were issued with with 12 fixed penalty notices for breaches of the Covid rules by City of York Council, with fines totalling £33,000, which they didn’t respond to.
They then ignored two orders to cease trading. This led council to launch an operation to close the shop, with the support of North Yorkshire Police.
Later two huge containers of builders’ sand were placed in front of the doorway to the barbers after the owners attempted to get back in.
Much of this was then removed when a sign pointing to the bags with the words ‘Free rubble’ appeared.
The council later removed the remains of the blockade and said it would be replaced with other safeguards.
These are clearly now in place.
Three men, aged 18, 24 and 30, were arrested by police investigating the repeated breaches of Covid laws.