Soho House to stay open

Soho House ­ the celebrity haunt where Jude Law and Sadie Frost's two-year-old daughter swallowed an ecstasy tablet ­ has held onto its licence after agreeing to a tough new anti-drugs code. The new one-year licence ­ following a police investigation into the ecstasy incident ­ was only granted after Westminster council officers drafted a series of stringent conditions. These include allowing only one person at a time inside lavatory cubicles and all flat surfaces to be removed from the cubicles. The toilets are to be monitored by staff every 15 minutes with random handbag searches. Pubs help drugs fight Licensees are helping police keep drugs out of pubs in a Midlands city. Police using sniffer dogs are targeting pubs in Coventry with the full co-operation of licensees and the initiative looks set to continue. A similar operation began last September when clubs in the city were searched and, in one check, more than 100 ecstasy tablets were discovered. Random checks are now carried out in clubs on most Friday and Saturdays but this is the first time the initiative has been extended to include pubs outside the city centre. In the first operation, 12 pubs in Stoke, Canley, Ernesford Grange, Earlsdon and Willenhall were visited by 16 officers with drugs detection dogs. A number of people were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act but no arrests were made. Sgt Kerry Blakeman said the exercise aimed to send a strong message to customers that illegal drugs were not welcome in the city's pubs. She said the checks werecarried out with the full co-operation of licensees and backed by Coventry's Communities Against Drugs team. Coventry Licensed Victuallers Association chairman Eddie Sheridan, of the Humber Hotel, Coventry, said his members fully supported the initiative which was carried out with the minimum of fuss and with no resistance from customers. "No licensee wants drugs in their pubs and we applaud anything that can be done to keep them out," he added. Police probe bombing Police in West Yorkshire are investigating after a home-made explosive device was thrown into the doorway of the Grey Goose in Belle Isle Road, Leeds, at around 9pm on Friday. The pub was packed, with an engagement party in the lounge and locals drinking in the bar. Customers reported a huge explosion. Part of the pub's ceiling collapsed, doors were damaged and several windows were shattered but no-one was hurt. Police searched the debrisfor evidence and interviewed people. A spokesman said inquiries were continuing. Police are appealing for anyone with information about the attack ­ particularly anyone who saw two youths on bikes around the time ­ to contact officers on 0113 241 4659. Two accused of murder A second person has been charged with the murder of a student outside a lap-dancing club in Ealing, west London. Jack Dempsey, 22, a carpet fitter, appeared this week at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court charged with murdering Paul Carr. Also charged with Carr's murder is Stacey Faunch, 20, an information centre specialist, who appeared at the court last week and was bailed to return to the Old Bailey on 26 February. Carr, a 25-year-old, student at Thames Valley University, was attacked after leaving the Boulevard nightclub, Ealing, during the early hours, last month. He was fatally stabbedoutside another club, LA Confidential. Host's rude awakening A masked burglar broke into a pub landlady's bedroom while her husband was downstairs serving drinks to customers. Kim O'Hagan, 44, of the Dales pub, Ipswich, had gone to bed early leaving husband Steve to look after the busy bar but was woken at 10.15pm by the masked man. The landlady screamed and the man fled. He was wearing a woolly hat, an anorak and a scarf wrapped around his face.