The Licensing Sub Committee of Huntingdonshire District Council has on 4 April 2007 suspended the premises licences of two pubs in St Neots, following evidence that drugs had been supplied at the premises.

At a review hearing asked for by the Police, the sub committee was told that the Police had carried out an undercover drugs operation at which 45 test purchases of class A drugs had been made at The King’s Head Hotel and eight at The Wrestlers Inn over a five week period in October and November of last year. A further 19 incidents at the King’s Head and one at the Wrestlers were drawn to the Sub Committee’s attention, including assaults, fights, thefts and allegations of under-age drinking.

Although the Police had not asked for the licences to be revoked, the sub committee told the licence holders, Punch Taverns, that they took an extremely serious view of the situation.  Although what had occurred had been the result of poor management practice locally, Punch Taverns were left in no doubt that the sub committee held them ultimately responsible as the licence holder of both premises.

The sub committee decided to suspend the licence of the King’s Head for eight weeks and the Wrestlers Inn for two weeks which reflected the fact that, although the offences committed at both premises were similar, the instances were significantly fewer in number at the Wrestlers Inn.  Both Designated Premises Supervisors (Will Hughes at the King’s Head and James Lumley at the Wrestlers) have had their names removed from the premises licences.  A stringent series of conditions drafted by the Police to tackle drugs problems have been imposed at both premises and both James Lumley and his partner, Joanne Hughes, have been banned from working at or being involved in the management of both establishments in the future.  To ensure that standards are improved and maintained, the sub committee will require Punch Taverns to meet the Police with their new Designated Premises Supervisors quarterly at first and then every six months.

Councillor John Sadler Chairman of the Licensing Sub Committee said after the hearing: “We are not prepared to tolerate this sort of behaviour at pubs that we license in Huntingdonshire.  Hopefully this will send a message to all pubs and licence holders about how seriously we view this matter and that the licensing authority is prepared to suspend or even revoke licences where we feel this is necessary.