Punch tenant facing eviction stages sit-in protest

James Iannone, who runs the Grinning Rat in Ipswich, Suffolk, on a tenancy at will, has said he is currently in a “sit and wait game” after Punch said it would intend to serve an eviction notice today.

Around 20 locals and friends are keeping Iannone company. No barricades have been put up.

Iannone is protesting his eviction after claiming he had been promised a full tenancy agreement by a former Punch area manager, who is now believed to be absent through long-term sickness.

The Grinning Rat has been run as a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-friendly site since Iannone took over the pub in January. Iannone said his relationship with the current acting area manager has been non-existent.

He added: “I’ve worked with Punch before and I’ve never had this sort of problem. The last pub I had I took on as a tenancy at will that was honoured into a full agreement. That was exactly what I expected to happen here, and exactly what I was promised by the former area manager.

“He has disappeared, and next thing I knew, I was being given six days’ notice to leave."

A spokesperson for Punch Taverns said: “We have started the legal process and will be issuing the eviction papers later today.”