A manager at Mecca Bingo is at the centre of a dispute after claims that he ripped up a petition signed by bingo players at the club. The petition had been circulated in support of one of the employees of the club who was reportedly sacked.

One of the regular bingo players claimed that other players were gobsmacked after a manager tore pages out of the book which had more than 50 signatures of support for the former employee. It is reported that the former Mecca Bingo worker is in dispute with the company over the dismissal.

Carol Mitchell, one of the bingo players added: “We were getting up a petition to have him reinstated. He was a good lad – polite and hard-working. We had around 50 signatures. We just had an exercise book and we were handing it round.

“One of the managers took the book off of someone in the Mecca and ripped all the pages out.

“They were saying it was our property – they are not allowed to do that. He came and took the book off a customer and ripped the pages. He said we couldn’t do it on their property. I just think it’s pathetic.

“Mecca are fine when we are saying good things about them, but when we have a dispute they don’t like it.”

A spokesperson for Mecca claimed that the company was unable to comment at the moment due to staff preoccupation with the Mecca Bingo clubs in the areas in London experiencing riots, however the matter would be fully investigated.