The premises occupied by Rice N Spice has been purchased by Metrobet. This site on the High Street is opposite the entrance to Vernon Road with 1st Choice and the lower High Street N&A Fishmongers on either corner.

This position, next door to Chequers could be what has attracted Metrobet to buy it so that we have yet another outlet for gambling on the High Street.

Its not as if we need any more, having the Tote, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Quicksilver and the very close by Cairn's Amusements all busy snaffling up the punters cash already. Few of the profits from these industrial scale cash hoovers are spent in Walthamstow, not even those made by the nationalised Tote. You would think that the full extent of the stupidity of the gambling public was already being catered for. The local pawnbrokers like Fish Brothers are doing a fine trade as it is.

The reason for Metrobid's bid to set up here is interesting. They were recently unceremoniously told to sling their hook by the good burgers of Haringey in a landmark court case. Walthamstow was clearly not their first choice for a shop in North London. The firm only has about 100 employees and is based at 2 The Green, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey ZT12 4EF. They trade as Wilson Sports and Racing. The CEO, Nigel Smith who had been in his job only 8 months, clearly had something to prove after the egg on their face that they got in Wood Green in November, and so decided that they should open somewhere else as soon as possible.

Opportunities to object to the use of the premises for yet another betting shop, were advertised on the door as still being open until 13 February 2008. The reasons they failed to open one in Haringey probably pertained here just as much. There are schools nearby and enough vulnerable people who are being exploited by the gaming industry into penury as it is. Existing commercial interests would also be affected by yet another betting shop (the Tote objected and then withdrew their objection at the last minute), and in my view, the local economy will suffer in the long run as more cash is sucked out of it. Due to a council error, the legal deadline was treated as being the 11th February, two days before the one advertised. By such procedural incompetence is the destiny of our area determined - the residents' objections were ruled out of time, Tote withdrew their complaint and Metrobet are now in our High Street.