On Sunday 26 October 2025 at around 3 p.m., a young man with additional needs became trapped in the accessible toilet of The Swan Wetherspoons in Weymouth. According to the family, the lock on the door jammed and could not be opened from the outside by pub staff despite their efforts. The family say that staff admitted they knew the door was faulty prior to the incident but had not taken action.
The local fire-service, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, were summoned and a crew from Weymouth used tools to open the door at 4.01 p.m. — meaning the man was trapped for more than 40 minutes. The family described the experience as “distressing and humiliating”.
Following reporting of the incident by ourselves, Wetherspoons has taken the following actions:
The company has replaced or repaired the toilet-handles/lock mechanism in the affected facility.
They have offered the family a £50 voucher redeemable at any of their pubs.
Their official statement reads:
“Unfortunately, the lock to the access toilet broke when the customer was inside and the door could not be opened externally by the pub team.
The manager on duty called the emergency services to open the door.
We are very grateful to the fire service for their assistance.
We are sorry for the upset caused to the customer and his family by the incident and we will liaise with them directly about their concerns.”
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