Landlord 'regrets' event with Swastika cake was held at his pub

A pub chain has apologised after it was claimed that a music event with alleged "neo-Nazi" links was held at a pub in Merseyside.

Concerns have been raised by campaign group Hope not Hate about the event, which took place at the Cooksons Bridge pub in Bootle on Saturday May 11, with some musicians, who according to Hope not Hate have links to prominent neo-Nazi groups, booked to play. A flyer, seen by the ECHO, billed the event as "Chad's birthday bash".

The ECHO understands the event organiser was Chad Charles, a man in his 50s who has previously been jailed in the past for inciting racial hatred. Charles was behind another music event with alleged links to the "neo-Nazi" scene, which was due to take place in Widnes in 2022.

He later claimed that he was no longer involved with the far-right, posting on Facebook: "Now don't get me wrong. Yes I was a right-wing nationalist and have been to jail but that's where the truths end. Since them days I have totally changed my life around."

MORE: Police officer sacked after incriminating WhatsApp messages found

MORE: 'Man slashed' and woman 'seriously injured' as two groups brawl outside city bar

The event took place in the beer garden of the Cooksons Bridge Pub in Bootle. Hope Not Hate and others said they repeatedly attempted to contact the pub's owners and managers in the run up to the event to warn them about the potential themes of the gathering.

Images shared to social media after the event, collated by Hope not Hate, appear to show Mr Charles stood next to a cake with a swastika symbol on it. Other images show attendees of the event openly wearing Nazi-themed t-shirts and badges.

The pub is ultimately owned by operator Punch Taverns and is leased out.

Responding to the concerns raised about the event, a spokesperson for Punch Taverns told the ECHO: "As an inclusive pub company, we would like to reassure the community that we take matters of this nature incredibly seriously.

“When we were alerted to the concerns raised about the event that took place at The Cooksons Bridge pub, we immediately launched an investigation to gain a thorough understanding of the situation.

“Whilst our internal investigations continue, we remain in support of our publican at the Cooksons Bridge, who deeply regrets the decision that allowed the event to continue once its true nature became apparent."

The statement added: "Together, we would like to apologise to the community and our guests for any undue concern this may have caused. We want to assure the community that The Cooksons Bridge, like all of our pubs, remains a place where extremism of any kind will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”

Both Merseyside Police and Sefton Council said they were not made aware of any incidents related to the event that took place that they would need to respond to.

The ECHO has attempted to contact Mr Charles.

Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here