by John Prince
A business owner says he has been left to repair damage to his property after large signs were attached to his fence without permission.
Rob Wilson, who owns the Hayloft guest accommodation in Westgate, Hornsea, discovered the heavy-duty metal signs fixed to the wooden fence at his property.
The signs appeared to contain allegations about a nearby holiday park. The Gazette is not publishing the wording of the signs.
Rob said the signs had been attached without his knowledge or consent, despite his willingness to allow local advertising on the fence when permission is sought in advance.
Removing them proved difficult because of the way they had been fixed in place.
“They were very heavy-duty, and it was a lot more sturdy than I was expecting,” he said.
“I had to use a crowbar. They wouldn’t budge at all with hand movements.”
Rob said the removal left adhesive residue and damaged sections of the fence.
“It’s just criminal damage,” he said. “I am just annoyed. That’s the worst thing. It’s now a lot of effort to clean something up.
“We’ve got enough to do without having to look after stuff that’s effectively vandalism. Thanks a lot, buddy.”
Similar signs are understood to have appeared elsewhere, including on public property.
Rob said he believed his fence may have been chosen because of its prominent position on a main route into Hornsea. He said the signs appeared to be linked to a grievance against the holiday park rather than anything to do with his own business.
A white vehicle was seen in Back Westgate around the time of the incident, which Rob said looked out of place.
The matter has been reported online to Humberside Police.
A spokesperson for the holiday park said: “This kind of thing has never happened to us before. We don’t know how to approach it.
“The main thing we are worried about is people’s safety on the site. We don’t know if there will be any comeback.
“Whoever has done this is breaking the law, and we don’t know what else they’re capable of. Let the police do their job.”
In some circumstances, false claims made about a business with the intention of damaging its trade can give rise to civil action.
One possible claim is malicious falsehood, which concerns untrue statements published maliciously that cause, or are likely to cause, financial loss.
Unlike defamation, which centres on reputational damage, malicious falsehood is concerned with false statements that damage a business’s trade, custom or financial standing.
Whether any such claim could be brought would depend on the exact wording used, whether the statements were false, the intention behind their publication and whether financial loss could be shown.
Civil remedies can include damages, injunctions to stop further publication, and orders requiring the removal of the material.