Crime

East London licensee hit with £5k fine for illegal Sky Sports coverage

11-Dec-2014 By James Evison

The licensee of the Acorn pub in east London has been convicted for showing Sky Sports illegally - and has been ordered to pay £5615 in fines and costs.

Existing licensing powers of entry to remain unchanged, says Home Office

27-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Home Office has decided to maintain the existing powers of entry under the Licensing Act, following a review into the measures.

Licensee hit with £4,000 fine for showing Sky Sports illegally

17-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A licensee has been ordered to pay £4,000 after being found guilty of illegally screening Sky Sports in his pub.

National Pubwatch launches campaign to protect pub workers from assault

07-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

National Pubwatch has launched a campaign to help prevent violence against publicans and workers in the night time economy.

Four licensees convicted for illegal Sky use

26-Sep-2014 By Mike Berry

Licensees in London, Liverpool and Manchester have been convicted and fined for showing Sky Sports illegally in their pubs.

Alcohol-related crime has dropped 32% in past decade

01-Sep-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

The public and police see local partnership schemes as key to cutting rates of alcohol-related crime that have fallen significantly in recent years, new research shows.

Licensees ordered to pay record £22k for illegal football screening

29-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

A record fine has brought the total cost to licensees of illegally showing Sky Sports to almost £70,000 so far this season.

Government refuses to create specific offence for assaulting a pub worker

29-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

A bid to create a specific offence of assaulting a worker selling alcohol has failed.

Change in law would mean two year sentence for assaulting a pub worker

15-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

Moves to introduce a specific offence of assaulting a worker selling alcohol have been backed by industry figures and publicans who have been attacked.

Ministers PASS the buck on underage drinking

18-Jun-2014 By Rob Willock

Financial penalties set at the right level can be an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending. That was the message from justice minister Jeremy Wright MP last week as he announced proposals for magistrates to issue...

Trade welcomes Blackpool EMRO rejection

10-Feb-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Leading trade figures have welcomed Blackpool Council’s licensing committee’s rejection of an early morning restriction order (EMRO), which would have banned the sale of alcohol in licensed premises in the town from 3am to 6am.

Blackpool pubs should 'reconsider their business model', says leading licensing lawyer

04-Feb-2014

A leading licensing barrister has suggested that Blackpool’s pubs and clubs should “reconsider their business model”, after claiming the introduction of an early morning restriction order (EMRO) would be “no death knell” for the town’s trade.

Jail for man who sold unofficial Sky systems to licensees

08-Jan-2014 By Lewis Brown

A man has been jailed for 16 months for selling systems to pubs that allowed access to Sky Sports without a commercial viewing agreement.

Police arrest man in connection with illegal Premier League broadcasts

03-Dec-2013 By Lewis Brown

A Nottingham man has been arrested on suspicion of selling devices that allow pubs to illegally broadcast Premier League football matches on a Saturday afternoon.

Partnership schemes praised in new Demos report

26-Nov-2013 By Lewis Brown

Partnership schemes National Pubwatch and Best Bar None have been praised in a report that focuses on tackling the UK’s drinking culture.

Licensing professionals attack plan to scrap personal licences

06-Nov-2013 By John Harrington

An influential association that represents c2,500 professionals working in licensing has added its weight to calls to shelve plans to abolish personal licences.

Detail needed on Government personal licence plans

25-Oct-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Licensing specialists Poppleston Allen examine three aspects of the government proposals on personal licences.

PMA teams up with National Pubwatch to fight crime

18-Sep-2013 By Gurjit Degun

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser has teamed up with National Pubwatch (NPW) to help catch criminals targeting pubs.

Plymouth police set to ban glassware in pubs to tackle crime

23-Jul-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Glass bottles and traditional glasses are to be banned from pubs and bars in Plymouth city centre to stamp out late night violent crime.

Milton Keynes defers late-night levy

27-Jun-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Milton Keynes Council has deferred making a decision over whether to introduce a late-night levy.

Enterprise Inns defends decision to sell Porcupine pub

25-Jun-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Enterprise Inns has defended its decision to sell one of its south London pubs to a supermarket chain, saying that the venue saw a “high level of reported criminal activity” at the venue.

Three men jailed over alcohol duty fraud

03-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Three men who attempted to steal more than £4.7 million in an alcohol tax fraud have been jailed.

Legal guide: How summary reviews work

29-Apr-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Serious crime and/or serious disorder associated with a premises is the catalyst for a summary (expedited) review. This type of review only applies where the premises licence authorises the sale of alcohol.

Blackpool Council delays EMRO decision after meeting with publicans

28-Mar-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Blackpool Council has delayed its decision to introduce a measure that will see late-night venues face a 3am curfew on alcohol sales.

West London club has licence revoked after series of crimes

22-Mar-2013 By Gurjit Degun

The Tune Inn in Acton, west London, has had its premises licence revoked after a drunken assaults, thefts and other crimes took place at the club.

Legal guide: applying for a personal licence

07-Mar-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Licensing law firm Poppleston Allen offers a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a personal licence to sell alcohol from a licensed premises.

Legal tips: how to spot counterfeit alcohol

12-Feb-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Many readers of the PMA will be aware of the dangers of selling counterfeit alcohol and already have systems in place to address this issue. This is a salutary reminder of the risks faced if counterfeit alcohol is found, sold or consumed on licensed premises.

Pair jailed for part in £50m alcohol duty fraud

14-Jan-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Two brothers who used a secret warehouse to store illegal vodka before it was released into the UK market as part of a £50m duty fraud have been jailed.

New app allows pub customers to immediately report crime

21-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A new app has been launched to allow victims of theft to report a crime, and licensees with CCTV will be immediately notified if the crime took place in their venue.

Follow key rules in employment

18-Dec-2012 By Poppleston Allen

A recent employment tribunal case involving a nightclub operator, William Hardwicke 2000, and one of its employees, a Mr Nye, demonstrates how licensing issues can also become employment problems.

Licensing crackdown on London venues leads to 297 arrests

10-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

A London-wide crackdown by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on crimes relating to licensing issues resulted in 297 arrests over the weekend.

Luminar to appeal licence revocation at Oceana Kingston

05-Dec-2012

Nightclub company Luminar is to appeal the decision to revoke the licence of Oceana in Kingston following a fatal stabbing inside.

Publicans reminded to follow employment laws at all times

05-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Licensees are being warned to make sure they comply with employment laws before sacking a member of staff, or face losing an unfair dismissal case.

Christmas security advice for pubs and licensed premises

03-Dec-2012 By Steve Williams

Licensees should be vigilant about crime prevention in the lead-up to Christmas. This time of year the number of criminals targeting licensed premises increases but good security does not have to cost a fortune.

Oceana Kingston has licence revoked

21-Nov-2012

Luminar, the nightclub operator, has said it will consider its options for its Oceana club in Kingston after the decision to revoke its licence following a fatal stabbing inside.

Romanian couple convicted for stealing beer kegs worth £76,000

13-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

A married Romanian couple have been convicted of stealing beer kegs worth £76,000.

PICA-Service: This is how pubco-tenant self-regulation can work

01-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock

When the PMA reported on the outcome of the first Pubs Independent Conciliation and Arbitration Service (PICA-Service) hearing, we agreed not to name the parties concerned.

Pubs urged to get legal advice to avoid licence reviews

31-Oct-2012 By Adam Pescod

Licensees risk seeing their pub’s reputation shattered if they don’t seek expert legal advice following routine licensing visits by police. That is the warning from Jon Wallsgrove, partner at Blake Lapthorn licensing solicitors, who was speaking at the...

Pub fraudster sent to prison for eight months

10-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A serial conman who fleeced licensees out of hundreds of pounds has been jailed for eight months.

Greater Manchester Police closes all pubs and licensed premises in Droylsden over "funeral feud" fears

02-Oct-2012 By Adam Pescod

Greater Manchester Police have taken the “unprecedented” step of closing all licensed premises in a town for fears of crime and disorder surrounding a funeral.

Innsatiable: Pressure increases on "unlicensed bar" in Farnham, Surrey

27-Sep-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pressure is rising on the Home Office to take action over the unlicensed bar in Farnham, Surrey, called Innsatiable.

Grantham police: licensees should do more to prevent alcohol-related crime

24-Aug-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Police in Grantham, Lincolnshire, have decided to “redistribute” officers on weekend nights with the aim of putting an emphasis on pubs and clubs to do more to reduce alcohol-related crimes.

Be cautious over ‘formal cautions’ at your pub

12-Jul-2012 By Jonathan Smith

In my experience most people are familiar with the notion of a ‘formal caution’ being issued by the police or local authority as a method of disposing of the matter once the investigation is concluded.

Beer Tax Fraud Inquiry: Majority of beer fraud organised by criminal gangs, says FWD chief

24-May-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The majority of beer duty fraud is operated by organised criminal gangs who are hard to prosecute, MPs heard at the Beer Tax Inquiry.

Home Office and police pay for closure notice error

29-Mar-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The Government has admitted it was wrong to advise police that they could close premises immediately for minor breaches of conditions and threaten licensees with arrest if they did not comply.

A for effort — but check rules first

06-Mar-2012 By Peter Coulson

You would think that the politicians would favour efforts by pubs to boost custom in order to help them through difficult trading times. But even these best intentions can fall foul of what some people might see as town-hall bureaucracy.

Unlicensed security director ordered to pay £550K

15-Feb-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Unlicensed security director Ernest Bewick has been ordered to pay £550,000 from his business or face five years in jail.

Getting a picture of police heavies

30-Jan-2012 By Peter Coulson

I have great sympathy for Michael Kheng (Operator in CCTV dispute, the PMA 19 January) in his dispute with police in Lincolnshire, who asked for footage in connection with a burglary that he refused to hand over without more specific information.

'Bar health check' scheme rolled out in Camden

12-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

Pubs and bars in Camden were inspected as part of a pilot ‘bar health check’ scheme by the local council and police which led to a 37% reduction in violent crime in the borough.

313 Drinking Banning Orders issued, confirms Home Office

28-Nov-2011 By Adam Pescod

The Home Office has reported that 313 Drinking Banning Orders (DBOs) have been issued on conviction since the facility became available to local authorities last year.