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Earl Haig pub 'too rowdy' for late licence (From Hounslow Guardian)
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Earl Haig pub 'too rowdy' for late licence
6:50am Monday 8th February 2010
Police are attempting to call time on a pub’s plan to stay open longer by claiming it suffers problems with “disorder, drugs, violence and drunkenness”.
The Earl Haig, in Bath Road, Hounslow, wants to offer its punters more time at the bar on Friday nights – with booze, music and dancing continuing until 1am.
Although Hounslow Council has received no noise complaints from residents around the watering hole, police have taken steps to stop the extended licence In a letter of objection to the proposed licence variation, licensing officer PC Lindsay Cornock, said: “There is still a significant amount of disorder, drugs, violence, and drunkenness on the premises.
“These include incidents late at night. Some of the incidents have occurred when door supervisors have been on duty.
“In my opinion any increase in the hours of the premises licence and the removal of the current conditions will only make the situation worse.”
In May 2008, police applied to the council for a licence review to be carried out on the Earl Haig – resulting in certain conditions being attached to its licence, affecting opening times.
PC Cornock claimed the pub had failed in its duty to work with police following the review.
He said: “Since the review there have been a significant number of incidents linked to the Earl Haig where the licensing objectives have been undermined.
“The premises licence holder stated to the licensing authority he would contact the police crime prevention officers (CPOs) to arrange for a site survey post the review and for the CCTV to be inspected as fit for purpose.
“I have been informed by the CPOs that their telephone messages were never replied to and they have been unable to carry out the survey.”
A spokeswoman for Punch Taverns, which manages the pub, said: “The team at the Earl Haig have continued to work closely with the authorities to ensure any concerns have been addressed, including the CCTV which has been verified by licensing manager Gary O’Shea.
“In the last year, there has only been one security issue at the Earl Haig where police were called.
“The application to the council is a request to relax the conditions imposed on the pub 18 months ago and we will continue to address any concerns raised by authorities as part of this process.”
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Your Say YourHounslow
adinuff, hounslow says...
7:03pm Tue 9 Feb 10
The article has portrayed this pub as a virtual ''den of iniquity'' and i have to say that this is so far from the truth about a pub that I have been a regular in for many years.
If it was as bad as your article states then as a decent law abiding citizen a grandfather of five and father of 3 sons I certainly would not be drinking in the pub and nor would 99 percent of the regulars .
Firstly the Landlady and the staff are very vigilant if there is any sign of trouble (which is on very rare occasions and generally caused by passing trade)it is dealt with immediately making it safe for other users of the pub.
Secondly check with the police regarding the last time they were called to an incident inside the pub.I think you will find that it was approx 18months ago.
Unfortunately when there is an incident outside of the pub premises, when the police are called, the perpetrator of the crime says that he /she has been drinking in the pub and therefore the pub bears the brunt.
I do not see the police or licensing officer objecting to football clubs licenses when they have served alcohol to the fans and they then leave the grounds and cause riots do you?
This pub has a good mix of all breeds of people from all walks of life and does not deserve the negative publicity that your paper has given .
Come down on a Sunday afternoon when there is a major footie game on and see how good the pub is.
Finally the pub has complied with all the sanctions that were unjustly placed against it.
CCTV is installed and doormen are employed at weekends.
Just a couple of weeks ago the pub closed at 7pm on a sunday because the doormen were not available.This is not the action of a pub that is portrayed as a drugs den is it?
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Phillip Taylor, Phillip Taylor says...
8:06pm Mon 8 Feb 10
It makes it very difficult for an objector to cut the number of hours and the 'grandfather rights' accorded to pubs when the new rules came in was a disaster as objections could not be taken and extensions were generally automatic.
Chris Grayling has said that the new Conservative government (if elected) will introduce new rules and I hope this will ease the problem and bring some sense back into the city centres.
Meanwhile, ordinary people are suffering because the pubs are selling too much alcohol for too long even though many pubs are closing because of cheap supermarket deals.
It is time for a Licensing Reform Act and more power for objectors to object without suffering a financial penalty.
I would also be interested to know how many police objections are actually made...very few, I think!
Phillip Taylor