Liverpool licensee's 'lucky escape' during riots

An Admiral Taverns licensee in Liverpool admitted she had an "incredibly lucky escape" after a Tesco store 50 metres from her pub was set alight by rioters on Tuesday night (9 August ).

Laura King, of the Caledonia pub, on Caledonia Street, said the trouble in Liverpool had begun half a mile away on Smithdown Road and culminated as the Tesco on Myrtle Road was set on fire by youths.

King said: "The area was really frightening on Tuesday night. There were small groups of youths loitering outside the pub wearing black which was really menacing."

Speaking to the PMA, King explained how she warned a group of youths of the CCTV she had installed at the pub after overhearing them discuss smashing one of her windows. She said her staff were forced to stay overnight at the pub for safety reasons.

"The pub was busy during the afternoon - people from the area were all looking to go to the pub. There was a real sense of bravado about it as people just thought they should do what they normally do even though the pub was right on the front line."

King, who lives at the Caledonia, explained how she had been following news of the riots throughout the day and had returned to the pub late in the evening.

"We were closing up and literally within ten minutes of arriving back at the pub I saw three police vans pull up on the edge of our street.

"30 riot police just ran down the street and my staff told me that just before that, they had seen a lot of kids running down with bats to join in.

"We were literally 20 metres away from where the police line was containing them. We would have been a prime target as we have massive windows."

The Caledonia recently won Camra's Music Pub of the Year award. A spokesman for Admiral Taverns said: "Laura has completely transformed (the pub) since taking it over about 18 months ago, really making a massive play of real ale and great music."