Pub keeps licence after drugs raid (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Pub keeps licence after drugs raid

11:30am Wednesday 28th October 2009

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A BREWERY has kept its licence for a pub which closed following a drugs raid.

Essex Police called for the premises licence review of the Bird in Hand and Blue India, in Coggeshall Road, Braintree, after the raid at the Bird in Hand in July.

At Friday’s hearing, Braintree Council’s licensing sub-committee imposed further conditions for licence holder Punch Taverns to adhere to.

Police spokesman Jan Klimkowski said: “Essex Police is satisfied that we have gone as far as we can to ensure that the premises will be conducted within the guidance offered by the Licensing Act.

“Essex Police applied for 19 conditions to be attached to the premises licence, in addition to the existing conditions, and all these have been accepted by the licensing authorities.”

Emma Wisbey, governance officer at Braintree Council, said: “The police had applied for the review on the basis that there had been a number of serious offences committed in respect to drugs.”

The offences related only to the Bird in Hand, but the conditions apply to the Blue India as well because the two businesses were within the same premises, for which Punch Taverns was the licence holder, she said.

The licensing sub-committee also imposed a condition that the pub and restaurant - both believed to be currently shut - will not reopen until a designated premises supervisor has been approved by the police.

Since July’s raid, the pub’s management company took the decision to close the Bird in Hand, which now has a For Sale sign outside.

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