The chairman of WH Smith is locked in a bizarre row with his neighbour over CCTV.
Leo Quinn, who became chairman of the retailer in June 2026, has been accused of “intrusive surveillance” after deploying cameras at an equestrian centre he owns near Windsor. The devices were installed after a neighbouring garden fence caught fire, and Mr Quinn claimed they were needed to protect his animals.
However, Chris Knight, who lives in the property next door, has accused Mr Quinn of breaching data protection law, alleging the devices can “zoom right into [his] bedroom”.
Mr Knight, 63, has demanded Mr Quinn move the cameras and hand over any footage of his property, according to a letter seen by The Times.
He also claims that Kimbers’ Farm, which Mr Quinn rents to a tenant to care for his polo ponies and other horses, has not been registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Mr Quinn, 69, told The Times that the CCTV had been installed to monitor two wooden mobile shelters for horses in a field close to Mr Knight’s property.
The shelters were put up to protect the animals from the “brutal” summer heat. Mr Quinn said he was concerned that the shelters could be deliberately set alight after the fence fire. He installed the CCTV “in case anyone burnt them down too”, he told The Times.
Mr Knight took responsibility for the fence fire but said it was an accident caused by embers from a barbecue. He said the fence had since been repaired and that police had taken no action. He argued that this did not justify the CCTV.
Mr Quinn said he was not aware that permission was required to install cameras and that a third party had fitted the system.
The dispute is an unwelcome distraction for Mr Quinn, who is attempting to turn around WH Smith’s fortunes after a difficult period.
He was brought in earlier this year after an accounting scandal that led the company to overstate its financial position.
Before joining WH Smith, Mr Quinn had led turnarounds at engineering group Balfour Beatty and defence technology company QinetiQ.
He said he had been travelling in the US on business and had not yet seen Mr Knight’s letter demanding that the cameras be moved.
Mr Quinn told The Times: “If he’d contacted the tenant or me, we’d have happily moved them. It’s bizarre, if you ask me.”
WH Smith was contacted for comment.
