Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Pub owner puts 'racist' dolls back up after police raid and says its only young people who get offended

Home> News

Published 06:11 12 Apr 2023 GMT+1

Pub owner puts 'racist' dolls back up after police raid and says its only young people who get offended

Police seized the couple's dolls and said they were investigating a ‘hate crime’.

Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis

A pub owner has reinstalled controversial dolls after police raided the venue and seized them.

Six officers interviewed pub owner Benice Ryley about her dolls after authorities received an anonymous complaint about The White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex.

She and her husband Chris have displayed their collection of 15 dolls at their establishment as customers have gifted to them over the years.

The dolls were spawned during the Jim Crow era in the US and depict a caricature of a minstrel - which itself represented a demeaning image of Black people.

Advert

SWNS

In recent years, these g******g toys and imagery have been prohibited as many activists have deemed it a ‘racist symbol’.

CCTV footage shows one officer inspecting the bar during last week's raid before gathering the dolls and placing them into an evidence bag.

While speaking to Thurrock Nub News, Benice said: "Apparently, a visitor to the pub had been quite upset about them and made a complaint.

“Chris is away abroad and will be until the middle of May.

Advert

"Police said as he is the licensee, they need to interview him, and they have taken the dolls away in the interim.”

The couple, who have owned the pub for almost two decades, also refused to remove the black-faced dolls after the local authority received a complaint in 2018.

Benice added: "I don't understand why we have to go through all this again.

"We have the police taking away information that is literally the history of this country. And why?”

SWNS

Advert

She added: "If we were not breaking the law, then, why are we breaking the law now?”

The woman said that if punters have an issue with the dolls being on display, they should not enter the venue.

There is a sign on the venue that says 'We have golly dolls displayed inside on our shelves. If you feel offended. Please do not enter'.

Benice continued: "I think the racist people are the ones who complain – it’s their problem, not us.”

She added: "I have so many different cultures come in here, we are definitely not racist. We do many Indian weddings, for example.”

Advert

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are investigating an allegation of hate crime in Grays reported to us on 24 February.

"On Tuesday, 4 April, we attended a location off Argent Street, Grays, and seized several items in connection with our investigation."

Benice has since put the dolls back up in the pub following the raid.

She explained to the Independent: "These are from our past and it’s only the young lads complaining … it’s absolutely silly.”

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: News, UK News, Racism

Charisa Bossinakis
Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis is an Associative Journalist at LADbible. Charisa has worked across various media platforms including, print, digital, radio and podcasting while maintaining the highest regard for quality work and integrity. She also covered everything from breaking news, to pop culture, entertainment and politics and is part of the editorial team for LADbible.

X

@CBossinakis

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Man, 92, found guilty of murder of woman nearly 60 years ago in UK's 'longest cold case'

    75-year-old Louisa Dunne was murdered in her Bristol home in 1967

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    'Marriage destroyer' holiday hotspot where Brits 'can't stop cheating' revealed

    Time to cancel those flights

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Brit ranked no.733 in world won't receive £99k prize money despite shock first round win at Wimbledon

    Oliver Tarvet won't see the money because of a sporting rule

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Police in frantic search for victim's head after reality star girlfriend charged with murder

    Police believe he was killed nearly two weeks ago now

    News
  • Convicted terrorist sues pub after saying he is ‘deeply offended’ by sign
  • Salon owner hits back after woman claimed sign fell on her in the wind only for witness to come forward
  • Pub accuses Facebook of deleting its page over name as it loses 80% of bookings
  • Jeremy Clarkson reveals the two drinks you can't get at his pub due to unique clause