The real-life Basil Fawlty
B&B owner swore at customers who complained about ‘gruesome’ rooms
John hart promised ‘four- star’ luxury in his Grade II-listed guest house in the shadow of Beverley’s historic Minster church.
Instead, a court heard, overnight stays were ruined by ‘awful, dirty and unhygienic’ rooms and a ‘Basil Fawlty’ host who was abusive to guests. A judge said the Minster Garth B&B was a ‘dump’ which didn’t merit one star because conditions were so appalling. Visitors complained of unclean rooms, ‘stained’ and ‘ gruesome’ bedding, ‘musty and tobacco smells’, mouse droppings in a drawer and dead insects. other issues included a missing door handle, ‘ threadbare’ carpets, a broken shower curtain and missing bathroom tiles. hart’s behaviour – likened by Judge Mark Bury to John Cleese’s TV sitcom character Basil Fawlty – was equally shocking, hull Crown Court was told. The court heard hart used an expletive to describe one woman and was rude in telephone calls. Judge Bury said:
‘he called some lady he had
‘He told her she was a sponger’
never met a f****** lech and told her she was a sponger.’ Commenting on his attitude towards his guests, the judge added: ‘ It’s a wonder he had any. he wasn’t particularly welcoming.’
hart, 60, of Beverley, East Yorkshire, said a drinking problem had ‘worsened’ his behaviour. he admitted six offences involving misleading commercial practices between June 2021 and March 2022. he was given a nine- month suspended prison sentence and 20 days’ rehabilitation, and ordered to pay £729 compensation to reimburse eight guests.
Adverts with misleading information and photographs were used on popular websites Expedia, LateRooms and Booking.com to attract customers. The judge told hart his business, in a stunning Georgian townhouse in a prime location for tourists, could be ‘a gold mine’.
Based on the advertisements, guests expected ‘three or four- star’ quality, but Michele Stuart- Lofthouse, prosecuting, said conditions were ‘ shabby, tatty and rundown’ with ‘unkempt grounds’.
Telephone calls went unanswered and rooms were filthy. Guests complained to council trading standards officers who investigated.
Ms Stuart- Lofthouse described one guest’s experience. ‘Given the smell and how awful the room was, they had no option but to go into town and buy cleaning products themselves,’ she said. ‘There was a bin with all the previous occupants’ rubbish in it.’
hart admitted being rude to guests, adding: ‘In the evening, I was in the habit of drinking quite a few vodka and cokes and that worsened my behaviour towards guests.
‘We have got 12 or 13 rooms and if people are all turning up at the same time and demanding attention, it can all get a bit fraught.’
he told the court at the time of the offences his wife left him, although they were now back together and improvements had been made to the guest house. hart said: ‘I had the whole place redecorated last year and decent carpeting. I regularly replace the bedding.’
Judge Bury replied: ‘Washing it would help.’
hart told the court he had only a ‘meagre income’ from the business and was trying hard to make it a success.
Judge Bury said: ‘The idea is that you get back on your feet and run this guest house as it should be and not as Basil Fawlty.
‘You are charging reasonable rates so people should not expect The Ritz.
‘They should expect reasonable facilities and, from you, politeness.’