Exiled Blogger

Blogger forced to flee town after branding it a s***-hole
By PA Mediapoint
Friday, 22 December 2006

A newly appointed manager of a chocolate shop had to flee his job after branding the town a “s***-hole” online.

Steve Beall (pictured) was moved from his home town in the North East to run the new Cafe Thorntons in the shipbuilding town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, two weeks ago.

But he kept an online diary, or blog, on the popular Myspace.com website – branding his new home “rough and boring”.

After news of his comments became known, locals descended on the shop – and the police had to be called. Beall, 20, has now left his post, and the boss of the chocolate firm has made a grovelling apology to the town.

The young shop manager was moved from his home in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle upon Tyne, and put up in a Travelodge hotel while he helped start up the new shop – but vented his frustrations on MySpace.

Beall, who uses the name “Stevo” online, wrote: “Well then what is there to say about Barrow in Furness apart from its a s***-hole!! “How the hell people live there I’ll never no (sic).

“It’s very rough, give me Newcastle any day and staying in a Travelodge by yourself for over a week is very boring!”.

The manager blasted the town after vandals smashed the shop’s window the day before its official opening on December 8.

Beall wrote: “The first day I was there the little s**** put my shop window through stealing over a grand’s worth of stock!! “I’ve had a few shoplifters which I’m not used to. I’m tired, stressed and need to drink.”

Locals rounded on the manager – and police had to be called after his comments were printed in Barrow’s local paper.

A steady stream of people visited the shop to tell the manager that if he did not like Barrrow he should go elsewhere – or words to that effect.

Others said they would not be visiting the shop again.

Beall’s comments have now been removed from MySpace – and he has been removed from Barrow.

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