TV personalities Mark and Melissa Drabble, known for their appearances on shows like BBC's "The Bidding Room" and Discovery's "Scrap Kings," have successfully sued their neighbor for defamation and harassment. The couple, who are also parish councillors, sought substantial damages from amusement firm boss Christopher Bramhall over a Facebook post made after a village Bonfire Night incident.
In the post, shared on a local Facebook group with 3,800 members, Bramhall accused Mr. Drabble of being "high on drugs" while driving and of having "a knife on his person which police later seized." The High Court found Bramhall's post to be defamatory, and the parties have since reached an out-of-court settlement, the terms of which remain undisclosed.
In a public apology issued on Facebook, Bramhall clarified three statements he had made. He acknowledged there was no official police report to evidence that Mr. Drabble was on drugs. He also explained that he had misinterpreted police radio communication, mistaking the code "state nine" (indicating a prisoner escort) for "steak knife," and acknowledged that Mr. Drabble did not have a knife in his possession. Bramhall further admitted that he should not have expressed his views on the incident on social media.
The dispute originated in November 2024 during the annual Dove Holes Bonfire Night. An altercation occurred between Mr. Drabble and Nathaniel Bramhall, Christopher Bramhall's brother, over the placement of a funfair ride. Nathaniel Bramhall was later jailed for three years after admitting grievous bodily harm for punching and kicking Mr. Drabble.
Following this physical assault, Christopher Bramhall made his Facebook post. The Drabbles stated that the false claims caused serious harm to their reputations, particularly due to their status within the small community. They also noted that the post led to "business denigration, withdrawal of publicity, social hostility and anxiety." Mrs. Drabble, who has a significant following on TikTok, told the Daily Mail that they wanted to raise awareness about the consequences of posting false information online. She also mentioned that Bramhall had displayed a metal effigy of the couple in his front garden.
The Drabbles run Derbyshire Reclamation & Salvage and are members of Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council. Bramhall's company, Bramhall's Amusements, provides bouncy castles and inflatables for hire. Both parties have agreed to make no further public statements concerning the events of November 4, 2024.