Police have launched an investigation after windows and a door were smashed by vandals at a pub embroiled in a race row over displaying golliwog dolls. Benice Ryley, 61, said she was left shaken when a brick was hurled through the window of The White Hart Inn, in Grays, Essex.
The pub has been at the centre of a row over their collection of 15 golly dolls and was previously visited by Essex Police following an anonymous complaint. The dolls were confiscated by police last week who said the toys, which were gifted to the pub over many years by customers, were a suspected "hate crime".
Officers returned to the pub at closing time on Saturday night after the brick was launched through a window while Benice and several customers were inside. A number of panes of glass were broken by the offenders who then fled before police arrived.
Essex Police confirmed the damage being linked to the dolls is 'one line of enquiry'. District Commander Tony Atkin said: “We’re conducting high visibility patrols in the area to provide community reassurance to our residents today and for the next few days following criminal damage to the White Hart Inn.
"This continuous police presence will allow the public direct access to officers and to share any information that they might have with the investigative team. Enquiries are taking place to establish what happened in the lead up to this incident and to identify those responsible, and includes viewing CCTV footage.
"One line of enquiry is that the criminal damage is linked to a previous incident that we are currently investigating, also linked to the White Hart Inn. We continue to investigate that incident and would ask the public to allow us to do so, remaining calm.
“The force is proud of the work we do to prevent crime, tackle offenders, and to build trust and confidence in all our communities. We will continue to work with our partners, including working with the Independent Advisory Group for Thurrock, to further build our understanding and gain community feedback.
“When any crime is reported to us, we will treat it as such and robustly investigate, without fear or favour. As with all our investigations, I’d call on our communities to work with us and support us.”
An Essex Police spokesperson added: "If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us. You can let us know by submitting a report online or by using our Live Chat service. Alternatively you can call us on 101."
The controversy around the decision to remove the dolls continues with supporters of the pub and its critics who describe the display as racist clashing online. Real ale organisation CAMRA said the pub will not be considered for further awards if it puts the dolls back on display.
A CAMRA spokesperson said: "We are currently discussing why this guidance was seemingly ignored by our South West Essex branch and have instructed them not to consider the White Hart for future awards, or inclusion in our Good Beer Guide, while these discriminatory dolls continue to be on display.
"CAMRA believes pubs should be welcoming and inclusive places and it's baffling that any pub would choose to discriminate against customers or potential customers by continuing to display offensive material. We have had clear national guidelines in place since 2018 that no pub should be considered for an award if it displays offensive or discriminatory material on the premises, or on social media associated with the pub.
"CAMRA has more than 200 branches, all of which make independent decisions about making numerous awards to pubs and breweries throughout the year."
Bernice, who runs the pub with husband Chris, 64, previously demanded the dolls are immediately returned and has vowed to put them back behind the bar. Speaking to Thurrock Nub News, Bernice said: "Apparently a visitor to the pub had been quite upset about them and made a complaint.
"We have the police taking away information that is literally the history of this country. And why? We are quite happy to call them dolls, not golliwogs, but even the officer who wrote down the inventory as he was taking them away described the larger one as a golliwog and the others as golly dolls.
"So even the police don't know what to call them. I understand that some people may not like them and they are entitled to that view, but they don't have to come into the pub.
"As far as we are aware we are not breaking any laws by displaying them. It took six officers to come and remove a shelf full of dollies. What a waste of taxpayers’ money.
"I think the racist people are the ones who complain – it’s their problem, not us. I have so many different cultures come in here, we are definitely not racist. We do many Indian weddings, for example.”
