PUB landlord Matt Smith has hit back at boaters who have accused him of unreasonable behaviour over the closure of a bin compound and threats to cut off a canalside water supply at his premises near Devizes.

Mr Smith, who has been landlord of The Bridge at Horton for six years, said Wadworth had no choice but to close the rubbish areas and for him to put up gates on his car park as he had been inundated with fly tipping.

He said: "The agreement over the bin compound was between Wadworth and the Canal & River Trust. It was Wadworth that decided it should be closed. I put up the gates as fly tipping has been getting worse and worse since new regulations for commercial rubbish were imposed at the recycling centre on Hopton Industrial Estate."

He said he did not care if there were negative reviews about him or his pub on Tripadvisor. He said: "I never read them and I tell my staff not to either. They can call me a grumpy landlord if they want to. I don't care.

"I have no problem with holiday makers who use our moorings. The problems are being caused by a few people who are live-aboard boaters."

Wadworth chief executive Chris Welham was sent a letter by Nick Brown secretary of the Bargee Travellers Association complaining about Mr Smith 's attitude to members of his group and Wadworth's decision to close the bin area and to propose stopping the water supply.

In a letter he said: "I now make formal complaint to Wadworth in relation to the policy conduct of the company."

He said he expected Wadworth to promise not to cut off the water and not to deny boaters access to the rubbish dumpsters. He also called for Mr Smith to be given additional training to improve the welcome felt by boaters when visiting the pub."

In relation to Tripadvisor he said: "This traffic has become quite ugly and I am sure that you would not wish your brand to be associated with traffic of this nature. "

Mr Welham said: "I am clearly concerned about the issues and will investigate fully."

A Canal & Rivert Trust spokesman said: "We’re disappointed this rubbish point has been closed as we know how vital these services are to our boaters. We are always on the look out for new sites in which to provide boating facilities but often the best areas are not on land owned by the Canal & River Trust so we need to get permission from adjacent land owners.  The next nearest alternative bin point is at All Cannings and Lock 44 in Devizes. The water point is still operating as normal."