I’ve had to axe staff, says furious boss

THE owner of a delivery firm vented his fury at the protesters yesterday, as he spoke of having to sack 15 employees because of the disruption.

The man, named Matt, from Merton, south London, said the damage to his company was ‘unbelievable’ as he slammed police and London mayor Sadiq Khan for not taking stronger action.

He told Nick Ferrari on LBC Radio:

‘I’m in the transport industry and I run 25 vans. Last night I had to turn around and terminate five drivers. Today I’ve got to turn around and terminate ten drivers because they can’t make deliveries in Central London. They’re now gone for good from my company. It’s costing me money. The damage this is causing is unbelievable.’

He went on: ‘When you look at the London riots the Met drafted in police officers from other areas to deal with the situation. Yet they’re doing nothing. And Mr Khan is supporting [the activists].’

Another caller, named Stephen, added: ‘I’m a self-employed construction manager. If I don’t work, if I don’t get out of bed, I don’t get money in and I can’t pay my bills, mortgages or look after the family.’ He questioned where the activists’ money was coming from while they demonstrated. ‘These people are blinded by their sheer stupidity that they can’t see the wood for the trees,’ he added.