The owners of a pub in Donington have accused Facebook of taking down their page without any warning. Julie and Lee Loach, who run the Black Bull in Donington, Lincolnshire, had built a large following on the platform and are now devastated by its sudden removal. Despite weeks passing, they still haven’t been given a reason for the deletion.
The Loaches suspect the page was removed due to copyright issues, as the name “Black Bull” is common in the UK. With over 8,500 followers at the time, they are heartbroken. Julie told the BBC, “It’s a complete disaster for the business, it feels like a death.”
She added that other Black Bull pubs have also had their pages taken down, likely for similar reasons. The pub, which depends on Facebook for about 80% of its food reservations, lost both its page and the existing bookings when it was removed on September 8.
Julie and Lee feel abandoned and say their business is suffering. Julie explained, “I’ve lost bookings, inquiries, and contacts that aren’t yet confirmed. I have no way of reaching anyone.” She also pointed out how difficult it has been to get in touch with Facebook, leaving them without a solution for nearly six weeks.
Julie admitted, “We’re just a tiny part of their massive Facebook world.” Lee emphasized the struggles of the hospitality industry and called this situation “another blow.” Initially thinking the deletion was an error, he recalled telling his wife not to worry, only to find the page had indeed been permanently removed.