JD Wetherspoon has decided to shut down all social media accounts for its head office and individual pubs.
The listed company made the announcement on Twitter to its 44,000 followers, and said that it would also be deleting its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The move “follows the bad publicity surrounding social media, including the ‘trolling’ of MPS and others, especially those from religious or ethnic minorities”, Wetherspoon said.
The pub group will continue to release news stories and information about forthcoming events on its website and in its printed magazine.
Outspoken chairman Tim Martin said it was becoming “increasingly obvious that people spend too much time on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and struggle to control the compulsion”.
“We are going against conventional wisdom that these platforms are a vital component of a successful business,” he added.
“I don’t believe that closing these accounts will affect our business whatsoever, and this is the overwhelming view of our pub managers.”