Unlicensed pub is closed down

12:29pm Monday 10th September 2007

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A PUB has been closed after its owners were found to have operated without a licence for the last seven months.

Waltham Forest Council has not taken legal action because the pub's licensee cooperated with the authorities by closing the pub immediately.

Residents complaining about loud music led police to discover the brewery running the Grove Tavern, in Grove Road, Walthamstow, had surrendered its premises licence on December 11.

Licensee Steve Bird said the brewery had gone out of business and had sold the pub at auction to a businessman, but had not told him it had no licence.

He said: "The first time I found out I didn't have a licence was when the police raided my pub and shut it down. I was absolutely gutted.

"I've run this pub for the last two years and I've been in the pub business for the last ten. It's in my blood."

Mr Bird added that, because the licence had been surrendered, he had to apply to the council for a new one under the Licensing Act 2003.

"It's 50-50 if this pub stays open," he said. "Residents are divided as to whether they want it to remain open. Some have complained to me about the noise while others have started a petition to save the pub."

Mr Bird thinks that the recent smoking ban has contributed to the demise of his pub.

He said: "I've never had a complaint about noise until the smoking ban was introduced. Now I've had three.

"It's really difficult because customers like to go outside for a smoke and they go through the doors and residents hear the music."

Both the council and the police have confirmed that the Grove Tavern was closed because it did not have a licence.

Cllr Afzal Akram, enforcement cabinet member, said that the owners were warned they would face legal action if they continued to run the pub without a licence.