The Hope & Anchor, a pub in Syston, Leicester, has removed its outdoor craft area after children "absolutely destroyed" it, painting furniture, a bouncy castle, and more. The craft station, which featured wooden tables and benches with coloured pencils, felt-tip pens, paint, paper, and card, was set up in the beer garden to entertain families. Despite protective sheeting to reduce mess, recent visitors took it too far, leading staff to remove the area entirely.
Damage and reaction
In a Facebook post, The Hope & Anchor shared images showing the aftermath: paint pots, pens, and brushes scattered on the floor, tables and benches stained with bright paint splatters, and piles of used card and shredded paper. The bouncy castle also had dark paint splatters on its front, where children would climb past to use it.
The pub's post read: "Rant alert! To the parents who sat in our beer garden yesterday and let your children absolutely destroy our outdoor craft area (which was completely cleaned and tidy and organised yesterday morning) who let them put paint on the bouncy castle and paint on other chairs and tables around the garden, I hope you are proud of yourselves because now we have completely removed our outdoor craft area."
Mixed comments from the public
Many commenters expressed outrage. One said: "If you have videos of the parents, put them up. Name and shame and then charge them." Another wrote: "How selfish is that? I'd be mortified if that was my child, I always make sure I clean up after any mess my son leaves even if the workers tell me it's fine. It's just common decency."
Others suggested parents were not supervising, with one commenting: "Parents prob just sat drinking and expecting bar staff to babysit." Another added: "Absolutely disgusting behaviour from the parents. There's nothing wrong with children having fun and getting creative, but parents should be supervising them and teaching them to respect other people's property."
Some defend the parents
However, some felt staff should have intervened earlier. One asked: "Why didn't the business stop them before this amount of damage was done?" Another noted the paint might be washable: "Honestly looks like water based poster paint. A bit of water would clear that right up."
The Hope & Anchor has been approached for further comment.
