Calling time

The police commander for Lambeth has decided that enough is enough and is taking a hard line on pubs where criminal activity is rife - and it seems to be working, writes Tom Sandham.

The final straw for Police Commander Dick Quinn came 12 months ago when a man was shot dead outside a pub on his patch. Richard White, a regular in the Duke of Wellington in Brixton, South London, was caught in the middle of a turf war when two bullets hit him in the neck.

Only weeks before this an innocent couple sitting in a car outside the same venue were almost shot when two stray bullets shattered their windscreen.

It was suddenly very clear that the wave of serious crime swelling in the borough of Lambeth was finding its way into pubs, which had become popular hangouts for gun-toting drug dealers.

Commander Quinn's reaction was swift and uncompromising. He targeted the three worst offending pubs on his patch and had them shut down overnight. Pub company representatives were summoned to his office and told about his plans and, with the law on his side, nothing could stand in the way.

"I had intelligence proving the problem in the Brixton pubs and I was prepared to do something about it," explained Commander Quinn. "In the end it was very straightforward and 12 months on I haven't had a shooting in or outside a pub in the area."

It may have been a hard-line tactic but Commander Quinn's strategy has had a huge impact on the community and significantly lowered serious gun crime. It has also helped the remaining venues in the area. With the bad sites gone the reputation of pubs as a decent part of the community has been restored.

And all of this long before David Blunkett demanded police use more power in the assault on alcohol-related crime. The home secretary's enthusiasm in bringing the trade to task has been scorned by many, understandably when he compares pubs to crack houses. But putting those comments aside Commander Quinn has provided evidence that, sometimes, the extreme measures are the only ones that work. "When we did it there was an initial sense of worry from other licensees about trouble dispersing," said Commander Quinn. "But the move wasn't simply a reaction, it was part of a strategy.

"We communicate with licensees more now and try to encourage them to come to us. It's essential they meet with us regularly. Someone can be trying their best but we understand it's difficult to keep this trouble out. If they are working with us together we can stop it happening."

Charlie Fleming, licensee at the Hope and Anchor opposite the now closed Duke of Wellington, agrees and has not suffered any fall-out. "The closures have benefited the area," he said. "We were initially worried but we haven't seen any trouble because we are not letting it happen and neither are other responsible licensees. When someone comes in here who looks like a trouble-maker they are made to feel as uncomfortable as one of my regulars would if they had gone into the Duke of Wellington."

It was obvious that the situation in the three pubs had got out of control and although Commander Quinn hammers home the point about licensees getting more involved with police he is also pushing pubcos to take responsibility.

"I'm not after paid-for policing but when you go to some of these people they don't even have crime on the agenda. It needs to be and the companies should support the licensees as much as possible - this approach has to be better than having a pub closed down and losing profit," he points out.

Whoever is to blame it has become clear that when a situation gets as severe as it did in Brixton there are few alternatives and one of the most effective could be the heavy hand of the law.

Recent police raids in Newham in East London seem to support this theory. Five hundred officers were involved in an operation in Forest Gate in April, which saw arrests for offences including class A drugs trafficking, possession of firearms and robbery.

Two of the pubs raided were served with closure notices during the raids but both were allowed to re-open three days later after police said neither was responsible for lawlessness.

Patsy Brotherston, licensee at the Princess Alice in Forest Gate, one of the pubs that was closed, applauded the no-tolerance operation, which has signalled to the criminal underworld that it is not welcome in licensed premises.

"I've worked hard to keep it out of my pub but it isn't easy," said Patsy. "I've had death threats when I've barred people from here and it is a difficult area to work a pub in, so I back the police action 100 per cent. There were no drugs found but I'm happy that anyone in there who might have been thinking about it has been sent a clear message."

Mark Hastings, communications director at the British Beer & Pub Association, agrees: "It makes it absolutely clear to the trade that if responsibility isn't taken then action will be and it helps remove the irresponsible elements from the business. That has always been the case, continues to be and will in the future. No one in the industry supports a pub or licensee that consistently causes problems for the community."

And this is what it is all about for Commander Quinn.

"We've sent a very clear message - we will not accept this type of behaviour in pubs. Of the three pubs we closed only one is likely to re-open. With the support of the trade and the community we can make it clear that pubs aren't the place for criminals."

Pictured: The Green Man was one of the three pubs that was shut down overnight.​