Brought to book: Yorkshire Dales '˜shopkeeper from hell' who charges 50p just to browse

Steve Bloom, who runs second-hand bookshop Bloomingdales in the North Yorkshire village of Hawes, charges a 50p entry fee.

According to a complaint made to Hawes Parish Council, one customer who declined to pay was branded a “pain in the arse”.

John Blackie, chairman of Hawes & High Abbotside Parish Council, said the organisation has discussed the “dreadfully rude and offensive” bookseller five times since 2013, and in the past four years it has received more than 20 complaints.

The decision to charge people an entry fee is often the flashpoint for upset, Mr Blackie said.

“I’m afraid we have the bookseller from hell,” he added.

The parish council chairman said the shop is a discredit to Hawes.

“He seems to have a strategy unlike anybody else’s,” Mr Blackie, 68, said.

“He charges 50p, people object, and he is very rude to them. Yet he feels that improves his business.”

He added: “The trouble is, he is doing a disservice to the other traders, to the reputation of the town which is very much a friendly town. We welcome people to come and visit us.”

Mr Blackie said Mr Bloom seems to enjoy the notoriety, and does not seem bothered by criticism online.

One comment on the Yell website said other shoppers “recoiled in embarrassment” when the reviewer was asked to leave while browsing postcards, having refused to pay the 50p entry fee.

Another gave only one star out of five, and said he and his wife received a very rude reception and were asked to pay the entry fee, returnable on purchase of a book.

The bookshop is based in Hawes Market House, a charity, and although complaints have been passed on to the building’s trustees there has been no change, Mr Blackie said.

The parish council chairman said he will visit Mr Bloom again and urge him to be polite.

“He can see the great difficulties, the upset that he causes in the local community,” Mr Blackie said. “He might be better off trying a charm offensive.

“If you charm them more and offend them less, you might have a business even better than it is now, and we can all live happily ever after.”

Mr Blackie said he will also urge the Market House Trustees to put pressure on Mr Bloom to mend his ways, or warn him he could be thrown out.

Mr Bloom was not contactable at his shop.

Extracts from a letter of complaint to Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council...

“We entered the shop at 5:15pm asking whether he was still open to be told, yes, if we knew what we were looking for.

“I explained and was shown where the section was.

“We were told that the admission charge was 50p, which would be returned if we bought something; this we ignored.

“About 30 seconds after we started looking, we were told we were both ‘a pain in the arse’.

“I simply said that I was not going to be talked to like that and walked out; my friend followed .

“A lady in our group joined us outside and within seconds the shopkeeper came halfway down the steps and told me that I was ‘spreading malicious gossip’ to this lady and she could come in as long as she parted with 50p. We all walked away.

“His behaviour was both rude and offensive, being a discredit to your lovely town.

“He should be made aware of this complaint and reprimanded in some way as his behaviour was unacceptable.

“I will add that my friends are Dutch and have taken this memory home with them.”