Council warning about Traveller funeral sparks closure of pubs and clubs in St Helens

Gypsy Traveller League charity step in to support grandmother's family in their fight for justice

Plans for a wake for on the day of a much-loved grandmother’s funeral in St Helens, Merseyside, have been wrecked after the council sent warning emails to local venues threatening to review their licences if they opened, leaving the licensees with ‘no choice but to close for the day.’

Gelly De Barr Smith’s mum was due to be laid to rest on the 26th September, and her and her sisters were planning to hold a wake in St Helens, only to be told by the licensees of pubs and clubs that they could not accept a booking – or even be open - because they had been warned not to by St Helens Borough Council.

“This is racism - it’s because we are Travellers,” Gelly told investigators from the Gypsy Traveller League charity.

“My mummy was English and born and bred here in St Helens, she married my dad thirty years ago and they brought a property, we have lived here all our lives,” she added.

“Our neighbours say we are part of their community, and we are no different from them,” said Gelly.

“We will do anything and everything for our local community and if our neighbours want anything doing we will help out.”

The “racist” warning emails from licensing officials at St Helens Borough Council came to light after both Gelly and Gypsy Traveller League investigators spoke to the licence holders of two local venues – who wish to remain anonymous - asking them why they were shutting for the day of the funeral.

The licensees both revealed that they had been warned off by the council, with one saying that a mass email had been sent to all the local venues warning them that a funeral was taking place on that day and warned of violence breaking out and cautioned that licences could be reviewed in light of any “public disorder.”

One licensee added that this was bad for their business as well and they would lose lots of money by not being able to accept the booking for the wake and having to close instead, and that it was out of their hands and that they had to close now they had been sent the council's warning.

The Travellers’ Times contacted St Helens Borough Council to ask them what on earth was going on - and a council spokesperson replied admitting that the warning emails had been sent.

A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The council routinely offers advice to licenced premises, upholding its responsibilities as the Licensing Authority and in the interest of the licensing objectives – namely the safety of the public and prevention of crime, disorder and nuisance.

Large gatherings of any kind may increase the risk of breach in respect of the licensing objectives and license holders must recognise and implement appropriate risk mitigation when conducting their business,” they added.

“A small number of licenced premises were recently contacted with this advice, as it has been suggested that a large wake may be held in September and some premises may have limited experience in hosting large gatherings.”

The council also said that they did not have the power to instruct premises to close and that such decisions “were the sole responsibility of the premises licence holder.”

That the decision to close was the “sole responsibility of the licence holder,” is the council being disingenuous – as one of the affected licensees explained both to Gelly and the Gypsy Traveller League investigators.

“I can’t open and hold a function if they advise us not to,” said one licensee, whilst admitting that the family had never caused any trouble before.

“I’m not saying it will – but if it did kick off, they would say – ‘we told you, we advised you on this’ – and we would lose our licence. It’s not me – its out of our hands now.”

The news of the closures spread fast amongst the tight-knit St Helens community.

“We had country-people (non-Travellers) ringing us to offer their support and saying it was disgraceful, and horrible what they were doing to us,” said Gelly.

“We have had big funerals in the past – a massive funeral for my brother who died young – nothing at all kicked off – and another one for my father and there was no trouble,” she added.

Gelly added that she thought the council were turning against them because they were Travellers.

“My brother buried a baby in June, and they done the same thing then – they sent out emails and closed all the pubs,” said Gelly.

“We turned a blind eye to that because we ended going back to my sister-in-law’s father’s place and he had a place booked - and now the council have done the same to my mother,” she added.

“We do everything by the law, all our children are in education, half of the older ones are in college and are in good education.”

“This is discrimination because we are Travellers,” said Gelly - vowing to see the council in court for breaking race equalities laws.

A spokesperson for the Gypsy Traveller League said:

The distress of losing a beloved family member, especially a mother—a matriarch—creates a profound sense of grief, a void that can never be filled. But when that pain is compounded by rejection from the very community in which that family has lived and thrived, the devastation is unimaginable. This is the reality for one family in St Helens, a family born and bred in the town, deeply integrated into the fabric of its community. In their darkest hour, as they sought to come together to honour their mother, they were refused a function for her funeral. The message this sends is loud, clear, and cruel: that in their time of need, their community turned its back.

St Helens is not just a town—it is home. For this family, it has been a place where generations have lived, worked, and built their lives. The mother they have lost was not only the heart of her family but also a cherished figure within the community, a woman who gave her all for her neighbours, friends, and the place she called home. Her passing should have been met with an outpouring of love and support. But instead, when the family sought to gather, to mourn, and to celebrate the life of a woman who meant so much, doors were shut.

The rejection to host a simple funeral function, a time when families need community more than ever, is more than just an oversight. It is a harsh reflection of the times we live in—a time where struggling businesses, beaten down by economic pressures, are forced to refuse the very people who have kept them alive. Once-bustling venues that were pillars of the town, where gatherings were held and life’s milestones celebrated, are closing their doors, unable to sustain the burden of their licensing fees or economic hardship. These businesses that would once open their arms to families in grief are now forced into positions where they must say no.

This rejection isn’t just about a lack of resources; it is about a lack of community. For this family, who have lived side by side with the people of St Helens, it feels like abandonment. The refusal to come together to mourn and celebrate a life sends a devastating message: that in times of hardship, they are marginalised, forgotten, and pushed aside.

Losing a mother is one of life’s greatest traumas. She was the constant, the protector, the nurturer, and the one who held everything together. To lose her and then to feel rejected by the community she loved, lived for, and contributed to is a wound that may never fully heal. The pain of losing her has been magnified by a sense of betrayal—betrayal from a town that they thought would rally around them.

This refusal speaks to a broader issue—one of disconnection, of a breakdown in community spirit that once defined places like St Helens. A town that was once bound together by shared struggles and triumphs now finds itself fractured, unable or unwilling to support its own in their time of need. The very businesses that were once the social hubs, the places of gathering and grieving, are being strangled by forces beyond their control—economic hardships, rising costs, and bureaucracy. And as they struggle to stay afloat, it is the people who suffer.

The ripple effects of this kind of marginalisation are profound. For a family that has just experienced the trauma of loss, being refused a space to grieve together compounds that trauma. It sends a message that their grief, their pain, is not worthy of collective acknowledgment. It erodes trust in the community and leaves them feeling isolated at a time when they need solidarity more than ever.

This isn’t just about a funeral—it’s about what kind of community we are building. When we refuse to come together in times of sorrow, we erode the very foundation of what makes us human—our empathy, our shared experiences, and our responsibility to care for one another. The pain felt by this family is a symptom of a larger sickness—one where the bonds of community are being slowly stripped away, leaving only individuals, each fending for themselves.

The family’s loss is not just the loss of a mother; it is the loss of the belief that community will stand by them when they need it most. St Helens must ask itself: what kind of town do we want to be? Do we want to be a place where, when someone suffers, we close our doors? Or do we want to return to the values that once held us together—the values of support, togetherness, and compassion?

In rejecting this family, St Helens has sent a painful message, but there is still time to reverse it. There is time to remember that no matter how much we struggle as individuals, we are stronger when we stand together. Grief should never be faced alone, and in times of loss, it is our duty, as neighbours and friends, to come together, not to turn away.

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