Pubs burn as London riots continue

Pub owners have spoken of their horror as the riots in London continued for a third night.

Landlords have described the “war zones” in which pubs have been set on fire and customers targeted for mass-muggings as balaclava-wearing youths ran amok in town centres across the country.

Alan McCabe, owner of the Old Fox and Hounds pub in Croydon, south London, told the BBC: “It kicked off very quickly, very sharpishly, and we tried moving people out the pub as fast as possible.

“We blocked up the front doors and moved them out the back. I ripped off all the spirits off the optic behind the bar, so that if anyone did break in they couldn’t be Molotovs.

“Unfortunately I had a 90 year old woman in the pub. She comes in for a cup of tea, a nice quiet woman. She got a little wound up so I carried her across the road to the police who were very accommodating.

“Just as I got her there the riot group, 200 strong, pushed forward. There were bottles, bricks, smoke everywhere; they just don’t care. I’ve never seen such a disregard for human life.”

In Woolwich, also in south London, a JD Wetherspoon’s pub, The Great Harry, has been completely destroyed by fire. No staff were injured in the blaze.

The Clayton Arms in nearby Peckham was looted with at least 50 youths stealing alcohol and smashing windows.

Meanwhile customers at a Wetherspoons pub in Lee were targeted in a “mass mugging”, according to accounts on Twitter.

Michelin star restaurant The Ledbury in Notting Hill was raided and diners mugged. Elsewhere in Notting Hill, Ottolenghi, Bumpkin and The Walmer pub all suffered smashed windows.

The Grand Union, which has sites all over London including Brixton and Camden, shut all its venues at 10pm last night, but has not sustained any damage.

The British Beer and Pub association, BBPA, advised landlords to listen to and liase with their local authorities.

A statement said: “The BBPA is in contact with the Home Office and they will inform us of any action or security advice affecting pubs.

“Attacks on pubs are an attack on the whole community. Pubs need to heed the advice of local police, and their first priority must be the safety of staff and customers, even if that means temporarily shutting the premises.

“We are advising licensees to use local Pubwatches as a useful source of information and support in this unprecedented situation.”

* Has your business been affected by the riots? Get in touch with us at info@thedrinksbusiness.co.uk