In the news

Possibly yes, there were articles when the non swearing policy was introduced.

Smith’s eccentricity is the source of local legend and seems to know no bounds. Regulars inside Smith pubs claim he habitually dresses up as a tramp and poses as a customer to make sure his rules are being enforced. Punters in the Commercial Inn in Oldham claim Smith once sacked a bar worker for not handing him the correct change – another tale of summary sacking it has not been possible to confirm.

In January last year Smith famously went to battle with the people of his own Yorkshire town after floods destroyed their bridge. Tadcaster was split into two separate communities after the incident two days before New Year’s Eve. Smith opposed the construction of a temporary bridge over the river Wharfe, which would allow residents to cross the town. It would have to be built on his land but he refused, saying, at a cost of £300,000, the bridge was “a waste of public money”.

The guy has also banned card payments in his pubs.