The boss of Canterbury’s Ye Olde Beverlie is scratching his head after fake offensive job ads for the pub were plastered all over the St Stephen’s area of the city.

Posters made crude references to female applicants having large chests, blonde hair and being able to speak seven modern foreign languages “including Latin”.

They suggested the pub is “looking for God’s gift” and that “locals ain’t good enough” – and added that applicants should be Oxbridge educated rather than Kent University alumni.

Gareth Finney, who has had the Beverlie for around five years as part of pub company Ultimate Entertainment Services, admits he found the poster “odd” and doesn’t know for certain who might be behind it.

“I can’t put my finger on it and it’s frustrating,” the 37-year-old said.

“I’m kind of thinking that there’s so much going on in life that it’s not worth allowing something like this to stress me. I’m really just trying to ignore it.”

Ye Olde Beverlie has served the St Stephen’s area since the 16th century and today includes a menu featuring steaks and Mexican food.

It is currently advertising a genuine waiting position.

Printed on plain A4 paper, the fake adverts appeared on walls, the St Stephen’s Church Hall, on the phone box opposite the Beverlie and on the pub building itself over the bank holiday weekend. They had been removed by Tuesday.

Gareth, whose other Canterbury pubs include the Shakespeare in Butchery Lane and the Shakespeare Wine Bar at the Buttermarket, employs about 100 staff and says he some theories about why the poster was put up.

He said: “It may have been someone upset about not getting a job or perhaps it was an employee disgruntled about not being allowed to take holiday.

“Maybe it was even a customer who wasn’t happy about the service they got.

“It’s all very odd, though. In 10 years of running the business we’ve never had anything like this. I do wish that if someone had wanted to raise an issue that they would just talk to me.”

Do you know about the posters? If so email kentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.uk or call the newsdesk on 01227 475985.