Crooked Cowes Pub Boss Outed on BBC’s “The Sheriff’s Are Coming”
A dodgy Cowes pub owner is in the hot seat on BBC One’s prime-time hit, The Sheriff’s Are Coming, airing today at 11am. Anne Cook, owner of the Vectis Tavern, has been caught out after stiffing a former worker on wages.
Wage War at the Vectis Tavern
Jordan White, a former employee, clocked up extra hours but saw his pay endlessly delayed. “It wasn’t very fun cleaning toilets at 3am,” he said. When Jordan pressed for his cash, Cook hit back with theft accusations and tried to dispute his hours.
Jordan took her to court and won. But Cook refused to pay up and even fought the ruling.
High Court Drama and a Bold Move
Fed up with dodging payment, Jordan escalated the fight to the High Court. Enter the BBC’s The Sheriff’s Are Coming crew, who followed the case to the Isle of Wight.
High Court Sheriffs Gerald Anderson and Robert Foster tracked down Cook and confronted her. She claimed she was a silent director of a new business and tried to get the judgement overturned on the very day they arrived – but the court found her claims were false.
Shock Lock-In Fails, Crooked Pub Owner Coughs Up
Cook then attempted to lock in the Sheriffs, but they hadn’t had one in ages and saw through the stunt. Facing the threat of having her goods seized, Cook finally paid the full amount owed. She even tried to have the judgement scrapped again – and failed.
Health Claims and Bluster
Cook’s defence also included dubious health excuses with no proof, making the battle even messier. The whole saga has caused a right old ruckus on the Isle of Wight.
