Fishery to pull down ‘no Polish’ sign after family received threats and owner claims he may close down for good
Field Farm Fisheries owner Billy Evans said he may be forced to close for good after furious backlash over his anti-Eastern European sign
A FISHERY owner has taken down a sign banning Eastern European anglers after his family received threats.
Billy Evans said may be forced to close Field Farm Fisheries, Oxfordshire, after furious backlash over his sign reading "No Polish or Eastern bloc fisherman allowed".
Polish fisherman Rado Papiewski crowdfunded over £10,000 for a private prosecution to have the sign removed, as the Equality and Humans Rights Commisson said it was unlawful.
The fishery, in Launton, near Bicester, is closed for the winter, but the owner said he was unsure if he would reopen following the public outburst.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Evans said: "The sign has been removed because of threats to my family.
"I am not in the country. I will decide what to do on my return. I may close it to all public long term."
Furious Rado, 35, runs an Angling Trust project called Building Bridges, which aims to "educate and integrate" fishermen from other countries.
The 35-year-old, of Doncaster, south Yorks, said he began crowdfunding to launch legal action after thinking of his son.
Speaking to , he said: "When I first saw it I thought of my 10-year-old son who loves angling.
"How could I say to him you can't fish here because your dad was born in Poland?'
"This disturbing sign should have never been displayed as it clearly discriminates against people from Poland and other eastern European countries."
Rado launched a crowdfunding page after the fishery ignored his letter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
His solicitor Alex Peebles suggests the Equality Act 2010 had been breached.
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An EHRC spokesperson said: "This type of sign should be a thing of the past.
"Banning people from services based on their race or nationality is discrimination and unlawful.
"It's right to challenge such out of date practices and any business that believes this is acceptable should think again before they find themselves facing legal action."