Drugs in pubs: Substance stories
Rob Jones: Profit partnership director at Batemans, in charge of the company's 65 tenanted pubs
You might not expect drug-dealing to be an issue in a quiet area like Wainfleet in Lincolnshire, but staff at Batemans became suspicious it was taking place in the Woolpack pub.
The brewery informed police, who recommended the use of the Itemiser - a drug detection machine that can tell whether drugs have been used in a premises or handled by customers.
Rob said: "Unbeknown to the licensee, drug dealers had started to use the pub. We spoke to the police and they recommended using the Itemiser. It is a fantastic bit of kit if people are looking to eliminate the problem. Within a month
of us using it the problem at the pub had gone.
"We also run drugs awareness training courses for our tenants so they know what to look for."Phil Brown: Licensee at Perry's in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees
Perry's is a Camerons tenancy that attracts the 20 to 30-year-old crowd. It has had issues in the past with drug-taking in the toilets. Phil took over last year and has taken significant steps to deal with the problem.
"We have doorstaff and we make sure that every
15 to 20 minutes they keep checking the toilets," he says. "And we have noticed a decline in drugs.
"I wanted to try and get to the bottom of the problem, but unfortunately you can't eradicate it completely. Cocaine was the main issue and you would sometimes find empty bags in the cistern or in the sink."
Chris Maclean: Licensee at the Railway Hotel in Faversham, Kent
After taking over the tenancy at the Railway Hotel, Chris had to implement a number of measures to tackle the cocaine use in the pub.
"I was going into the loos and checking the seats and the tops of the cisterns," he explains.
"A couple of times I had to throw people out. It's just a case of being firm but not having an unreasonable approach."
Now the incidences are very rare, but Chris is still tuned into the tell-tale signs.
"Watching people's behaviour is key and especially looking out for two lads going into the loo together - then you know there's an issue," he says.
One method he is not keen on using, though, is putting up signs.
"I loathe signs," he says. "We don't want to be focusing on the negatives.
"But because we have changed the profile of the pub in terms of customers we get fewer problems now.
"We operate a zero tolerance approach. The moment you stray from that, the problem becomes endemic.
"I'm also trying to source some Victorian lavatories that have cisterns about seven or eight feet from the floor."
Ruth Mottram: Licensee at the Hawley Arms in Camden Town, North London.
The lively markets and underground scenes in Camden Town, North London, attract people from across the world. While this can bring trade to the area's pubs it can also bring problems associated with the culture.
Ruth works with police to try to keep drugs, predominantly cocaine, out of the pub.
She says: "Drugs are a problem for pubs all over the country but in Camden it might just be a little more obvious.
"It is a big issue and we removed all of our toilet seats at the request of police. We also put sanitiser on other flat surfaces to deter people from using them.
"The other things you can do include putting up notices to let people know what your policy is."
It is in the interest of licensees to work closely with authorities, she adds: "It is difficult because there are so many regulations for licensees to follow these days, but the authorities are more sympathetic if they know you are doing everything you can."
