Tributes have been paid to a pub landlord who died in a fiery standoff with police as his pub exploded in flames behind him.
Herve Louis Appert, who served pints at the 500-year-old Chequers Inn, died from ‘self-inflicted’ wounds after explosions and fire destroyed his boozer nestled in the Bedfordshire village of Wootton.
Police responded to calls for a welfare check on a man at the Chequers Inn in Wootton at 10.15am on Friday (September 19).
Locals had reported an explosion ‘shaking the tiles off the roof’ as huge flames took hold and Herve failing to come out.
Police soon discovered that the pub landlord was armed with a crossbow.
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Specialist officers, including negotiators, were sent to defuse the situation but when he finally left the pub at 12.45pm he had already sustained self-inflicted injuries, police said.
The pub landlord was rushed to hospital on Friday but died two days later.
Tributes have poured in on social media for Herve, known by his middle name Louis, who was described as a ‘lovely’ but ‘complicated’ man.
Regulars said he struggled to get over the death of his beloved border collie Cat who he jokingly named the landlady of the boozer.
One customer, posting to Facebook, said: ‘RIP Louis. Our dog will miss his treats from you when we pass The Chequers. You will always be remembered for those glasses.’
Another said: ‘Rest in peace Louie thank you for the memories and laughter we had in your company. You were a devoted animal lover and never got over the loss of your beloved dog.’
Others expressed their admiration for his cooking, complimenting Herve’s Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes.
One regular said that Herve was always friendly.
‘Such a lovely man,’ Paul said. ‘Always welcoming and couldn’t do enough to try and make a go of the Chequers.
‘Obviously very troubled but outwardly he hid it very well. Rest in Peace Louis.’
Lianne Poole-wiles, the Chequers former pub landlord, told Metro it was a ‘beautiful building’ with twisted beams and low ceilings said to have been built in 1520.
‘My time at the Chequers was wonderful and it was the hub of the community where people would gather for their daily drink and chat or to celebrate weddings and birthdays.’
‘My children spent their early years in the pub surrounded by the locals who were like family and the saying was always that the Chequers isn’t just a public house, it’s a public home.’
Enquiries are ongoing and the circumstances of the death have been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in line with standard protocol, Bedfordshire Police said.
The historic Grade II listed Bedford pub, which was originally a farmhouse, was completely destroyed by the fire.
A Campaign for Real Ale spokesman said: ‘The pub is absolutely gone. A chimney is still standing, but not a lot else.’
The building was believed to have been built in the 16th century as a ‘fine timber-framed public house’.
A Wootton neighbourhood plan hailed the boozer for ‘its diminutive scale, characterful roof form and large chimney stack which contribute enormously to its appearance and significance for the area’.
The IOPC have been approached for comment.
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