Thug ties up manager

An assistant pub manager was gagged and tied up during an armed robbery. The 31-year-old was cashing up at the Norbiton Dragon pub, in London, in the early hours of Saturday when a masked raider burst in brandishing a knife. He pulled out a semi-automatic gun and demanded cash. The robber then bound up the employee with masking tape before escaping with an undisclosed sum from the till. Workmates living on the premises freed the victim after hearing his cries for help. Attack on 60-year-olds Two men needed hospital treatment after being attacked following a night out at their local. The men, both 60, had just left the King's Head in Chertsey, Surrey, when they were approached by two men and a woman walking what was believed to be a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The men were punched and kicked. One was left with a suspected broken shoulder and cuts, the other, a broken nose. Trio mount raid on inn Raiders brandishing knives stole cash from the Royal Oak Hotel in Failsworth, Greater Manchester. The three men broke into the pub in the early hours of Thursday last week. They threatened the occupants and ordered them to open the safe. Riot police storm pub A pub was badly damaged as riot police tried to control a group of yobs. Fifty officers with shields and batons stormed the Railway pub in Brighton on Saturday evening. Earlier the same day, police had successfully preventedtrouble between Albion and Portsmouth football supporters. Officers were attacked with bottles and chairs and had to use a battering ram to charge the front door. Police said the hooligans were not associated with Albion, but were a small minority determined to fight with Portsmouth supporters. Arms gang used pubs Four men who used pubs as cover were caught trading an arsenal of weaponry by police officers. Undercover officers saw a total of eight handguns and 48 rounds of ammunition handed over using two busy pubs as cover, Inner London Crown Court was told. The guns, bought in the capital, were "destined for the streets of Liverpool". The four were arrested by officers from operation Trident, the Met's campaign against "black on black" crime. They were jailed for up to nine and a half years each. Fears over reform Government plans to revolutionise licensing laws could spark a major surge in after-hours drinkers hitting the hostelries of Wimbledon, destroy the town centre's traditional identity, and make certain streets a no-go zone, community groups claim. The Licensing Bill has prompted a backlash from those living in and around the town centre, who claim Wimbledon's late-night culture is already escalating to anti-social levels. They fear if the draft legislation becomes law and extended opening hours come into force, the situation will get worse. Thumbprint ID scheme A thumbprint "signature" initiative to combat credit fraud has been launched in Hounslow, London. Under the scheme, customers wanting to pay by cheque, credit or debit card at the 61 participating shops and pubs in Hounslow town centre, can be asked to provide a thumbprint on the pub's copy of the receipt. If a fraudulent transaction had taken place, the print would then be passed on to police. Customers declining to leave a thumbprint can be asked for secondary identification, and if this is not forthcoming, the pub can either request cash payment or refuse the sale. The scheme is supported by the council, the Met, the Government Office for London and the Community Safety Partnership.