Press Releases
Council and police shut down The Town House for two weeks (PR 925)
The Town House pub in Ealing Broadway has been ordered to close its doors for two weeks, after being brought before Ealing Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee by police.
Committee members heard that the pub had become a hot spot for assaults, drunkenness, disorder and other anti-social behaviour, with concerns echoed by police, council environmental health officers, residents and other community representatives.
After hearing all representations on the matter, the sub-committee imposed a range of conditions on the popular town centre venue.
The venue's licence will be suspended for two weeks to allow for improvements to be made and once reopened, serving hours will be reduced on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. No-one aged under 21 years will be permitted entry after 9pm on those evenings and CCTV and security will need to be upgraded.
In addition, all customers will need to produce photographic ID after 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and floorwalkers will be employed to identify drunkenness and anti-social behaviour.
The pub's owner, Laurel Pub Company, has 21 days to appeal the decision and conditions imposed, but agreed to many of the conditions at the hearing.
Councillor Sue Emment, cabinet member for safer communities, said: "This pub has been a magnet for crime and disorder, fuelled by cheap beer and drinks promotions for far too long.
"It has a history of assaults, drunkenness and anti-social behaviour, both inside and outside the premises.
"The company needs to take responsibility for the abusive and violent behaviour of some of its patrons who, having left the premises, contribute to general disorder and a threatening atmosphere in the area late at night.
"We will not tolerate this kind of blatant irresponsibility and are continuing to step up our efforts to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre to make it safer for all residents and visitors."
Building safer communities is one of the council’s three priorities. The other two priorities are cleaner streets and providing value for money services.
Ealing Police Licensing Sergeant, Nigel Charlton, of Ealing Police, said: "After many complaints about violence inside and outside the pub from members of the public, we have taken action to put a stop to it.
"The pub's owners have accepted that there has been a history of problems and are now committed to working with us to ensure they create a safe environment for people to enjoy an evening out."
Sergeant Charlton called for the licence review on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder (including assaults, drunkenness and disorder), public safety (in relation to broken glass, uneven flooring and poor hygiene), prevention of public nuisance (disorder outside the premises, noise and rowdiness) and protection of children from harm (in relation to serving alcohol to under-age people).
Between February and October 2006, the police logged at least 18 incidents at the pub.
Margaret Goodwin, the council’s environmental health officer, said in her submission: "It appears that this company accepts that violence is an occupational hazard and their mind-set is just to react to violence once it has happened.
"Given the high number of violent incidents at the premises, mainly between intoxicated customers attacking other customers, or when intoxicated customers have been asked to leave by bar staff, there should be a specific assessment designed to monitor such incidents and set procedures in place to reduce them.
"Public safety has been seriously breached by sustained failures under Health and Safety legislation over a period of at least 10 months.”
The two-week licence suspension will allow time for new management processes to become embedded, to ensure compliance with the new licensing conditions and to give the managers of the premises the opportunity and time to partially ‘re-brand’ the premises in order to appeal to a new clientele and customer base.
Notes to editors:
Please find below the full list of conditions imposed by
Ealing Council’s
Licensing Sub-Committee at the hearing on
Monday 5 February:
· The Town House’s licence will be suspended for two
weeks, during which time the premises must cease all licensable
activities
· Once licensable activities resume, the pub will be
required to stop selling drinks and cease any regulated
entertainment at 12 midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
nights, with 30 minutes drinking-up and wind-down time before
closing the premises at 12.30am
· No-one under the age of 21 years will be allowed in
the premises after 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings
· All customers must produce valid photographic ID after
8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Those unable to
produce valid identification will be refused entry. Only a
passport, UK photographic driving license or other identification
with the PASS logo will be accepted
· When Security Industry Authority registered door staff
are employed at the premises they must be employed for a further 15
minutes after the last customer leaves and be visible outside the
venue for that period of time.
· From 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings,
until the last customer leaves, at least one person must be
employed as a floorwalker. Their only other duty during that time
will be to clean down tables and remove glasses and bottles. The
purpose of the role is to assist in identifying potential risks of
drunkenness or anti-social behaviour
· Plastic bottles - rather than glass bottles - will be
used on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings after 8pm for all
products which are available in plastic bottles.
· No drinks promotions shall be introduced without
consultation with the police and the police will have a right of
veto over any such promotions
· CCTV equipment and coverage must be upgraded (in line
with recommendations from the Police Crime Prevention Officer) and
a risk assessment for public safety must be carried out
· The Director of the Laurel Pub Company must review the
public safety risk assessment on a quarterly basis and institute
changes as required to secure public safety. There should be a
written record of such reviews to be made available to the
responsible authorities upon request. A review of the risk
assessment must be invoked if anyone is taken to hospital as a
result of violence
· Where the police, council environmental health
officers or another health and safety authority makes known to the
company their concerns about the level of violence or any other
matter that might impinge on public safety, a public safety risk
assessment review must be immediately invoked
· Further training of company managers is required so
that they fully understand their legal responsibilities under the
health and safety legislation in the context of risk assessments
and the maintenance of public safety
· All violent incidents must be recorded by the company
and on-site records must be available to the responsible
authorities upon request
· There should be at least one person on duty at any one
time who is a First Aid Appointed Person within the meaning of the
Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
· The company must provide additional signage to the
effect that there is full CCTV
coverage of the premises and that persons perpetrating violent
incidents will be prosecuted by the company.
The Town House has a history of serving cheap beer and drinks
promotions. For example, in January 2006, customers could buy cheap
£1 drinks across a range of nine different drinks. In April, the
promotion was changed to £1.50 for a range of four different
drinks.