A long-running war between residents and Asda in Bedminster over unauthorised night-time deliveries has descended into abuse, threats, arrests and a criminal conviction, it can be revealed. Neighbours say the supermarket has breached a planning condition banning lorries from the East Street store’s yard between 10pm and 6am an estimated 2,500 times stretching back at least eight years, causing them sleepless nights, stress and misery.
But the retail giant has issued an astonishing statement accusing locals of a “campaign of abuse” against its staff, including “physical and verbal assault, trespassing, threats through social media and a constant bombardment of emails and calls”. Avon & Somerset Police has confirmed a man was convicted at Bristol magistrates’ court in April last year for going into the delivery yard on three occasions in December 2020 and January 2021 and being abusive to employees or delivery drivers.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to criminal damage, using threatening words/behaviour and trespass with intent to do unlawful damage. Residents say the overwhelming majority of them act perfectly reasonably and insist Asda is entirely to blame for the ill-feeling because of its repeated breaches of the planning condition.
