Independent greeting card and gift retailers, Alasdair and Lydia Walker-Cox of Grace Cards and Books, have been served up a £1,000 fine for refusing to close during the latest lockdown of so-called non-essential shops.
Mrs Walker-Cox filmed police officers on her mobile phone at the moment they entered the shop to warn the couple they were breaking the rules.
The couple claim that because they sell items deemed essential, including newspapers, snacks and baking products, they are exempt from the rules which have devastated so many small retailers in the crucial run-up to Christmas.
Having run their shop in Droitwich for over three decades, they say they are prepared to risk jail in order to keep the business afloat. They say that if they hadn’t remained open throughout November they would have been unable to pay suppliers or the rent on their shop. They also have seven children to support.
Mr Walker-Cox said: ‘We believe lockdowns do not work against the virus and on principle we want to open and support our family and suppliers instead.’
His wife added: ‘We don’t sell anything that much different than WH Smith so why can they stay open but we cannot? We have a sugarcraft section which is very significant and everything to do with making cakes and provide stuff for people who run their own businesses from home. We’re definitely essential based on our sugarcraft section and we sell confectionary crisps and drinks as well. We’re willing to go all the way’.
Chief Superintendent Paul Moxley, of West Mercia Police, said the force’s hands were tied by the rules, saying: ‘We remain hugely sympathetic to the difficult times that business owners, particularly small and independent businesses, are having to endure. We understand the restrictions can be challenging, and we know this business is well-loved in Droitwich, but the Government legislation is in place to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and to keep us all safe. We all have a critical part to play in that.’
They are not the only high street business owners determined to keep on trading, as the owners of gyms, coffee shops and hairdressers have also hit the headlines for similar reasons over the past few weeks, sometimes quoting the Magna Carta in their defiance of Government directives.
Salon owner, Sinead Quinn, could be facing a huge £27,000 fine after refusing to close her business during lockdown and quoting the Magna Carta on a sign at her salon to justify the decision. However, clause 61 — a general defence of freedom that was entered into the Magna Carta in 1215 – was removed a year later. The clause, which gave 25 barons the right to lawfully dissent or rebel if they thought they were being governed unjustly, was never fully incorporated into English law and can’t be used as a legal defence.
Meanwhile at Christmas bookshop and tearooms, the Mustard Seed café in Nottingham, two men were arrested for refusing to close down. Around 40-50 people were said to be inside at the time police were called.
The Government announced on Wednesday November 25 that all non-essential shops will be allowed to legally open on Wednesday December 2, whichever tier their area is placed in.
