7:49am Monday 26th July 2010
By Chris Yandell
POLICE shut down a popular pub to stop a farewell bash just days before it closes for good.
Officers served a closure notice on the Red Lion in Totton at 5pm on Friday, blocking plans to give the pub a good send-off before its owners shut up shop for the final time.
Hundreds of customers missed out after licensee Jacqui Clapp had to cancel a huge party that included three nights of live music over the weekend.
Officers claim they were acting “in the interests of public safety” after concerns were raised about crime and disorder in connection with the pub. They refused to say where the information had come from.
The order was due to be the subject of a hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court this morning.
Mrs Clapp is furious at what she described as an over-reaction and the timing of the closure.
She had planned to say goodbye to her regulars in style following Enterprise Inns’ decision to axe the pub tomorrow.
Her social networking website page invited people to “drink the pub dry” – but police swooped on the Red Lion with a temporary closure order, forcing her to shut the premises immediately.
A large number of customers who arrived over the weekend were turned away, leaving staff “heartbroken”.
Mrs Clapp said: “I told the police that I didn’t allow any trouble and even offered to double the number of staff on the door but it didn’t do any good.
“I was shut down on the spot and the customers who were in there at the time were asked to leave.
“They knew there was absolutely nothing I could do at 5pm on a Friday.
“I’m devastated that this should happen after seven years of great times at the pub. The police have totally over-reacted.”
Sgt Tim Adams said: “Hampshire police have served a closure notice on the Red Lion under Section 161 of the Licensing Act 2003.
“This notice means that the premises is not allowed to sell or supply alcohol or provide regulated entertainment.
“It was served as a result of concerns raised about the pub in connection with crime and disorder and we believed it was necessary to do so in the interests of public safety.”
The Red Lion’s swansong was due to include gigs by Beach Party, The Dragsters and Robbing Williams – a Robbie Williams tribute band.
Billed as the only late-night venue in Totton, the pub could stay open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and attracted people from a wide area.
The Daily Echo revealed last week that Enterprise Inns was closing the pub.
Mrs Clapp said she understood the site was being sold to Linden Homes, one of Totton’s biggest developers, but this has been denied by the company.
Enterprise Inns has refused to comment on the pub’s closure.
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