What a wonderful place the UK has become when the police get businesses closed down simply on their say so.
A bar in Sheffield has been closed temporarily after police raised concerns over safety at the premises.
South Yorkshire Police said the city council’s licensing committee had suspended the Empire Bar’s licence ahead of a full review.
The force requested the review after reports of a disturbance at the bar on 24 December.
The committee review hearing is due to take place on 6 January.
Supt Peter Norman said: “Our objective is to ensure Sheffield remains a safe and secure city centre in which to live, work and visit, whether that is during the day or during the night-time economy.
“In our opinion, those safety measures were not in place at The Empire Bar and therefore we found it necessary to take our concerns before the Sheffield Licensing Committee.
“They have agreed with our concerns and a full review of the club’s licence will be carried out Until then the premises are closed. The public’s safety is and will remain our priority at all times”.
So, the police have now taken safety inspections under their remit and as a result of their report to the licensing authority, a business loses all trade for at least two weeks while a “review” takes place.
What kind of system do we have in place in the UK now?
The police seem to have control over pub licence suspension (as above) and website hosting removal , all without recourse to any court or judical authority.
They can, of course, also take away your money if you can’t prove to them why you have it and what you are going to do with it :
Anyone entering or leaving the UK with more than £1,000 in cash must provide evidence for the source and intended use of the money or face having it detained.
And, seem to be using the powers with increasing vigour :
We are seeing a huge increase in the number of Police and Customs Officers seizing cash from ordinary law abiding citizens and then applying to the Court its further detention and eventually its forfeiture. This draconian power entitles the authorities to initiate this process without a shred of proof and based on the slightest of suspicions.
These powerful seizure, detention and forfeiture provisions given to the authorities are embodied in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; by virtues of this vested power a Customs Officer or Constable may seize any amount of cash if he has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is “recoverable property” or it is intended to be used in “unlawful conduct”. This effectively means that without an arrest; if a Customs or a Police Officer believes that money is the proceeds of crime or is to be used in crime then that money can be seized.
What will be next I wonder?
Bucko – I worked in a pub a long time ago and remember the landlord telling me the same – only call the police if you really have no alternative. At least then they waited until the review. My real issue here is that the police seem to have bene given some extraordinary powers to act without judicial oversight – pub closures, property seizure, on the spot fines, vehicle confiscation – how did we arrive at the point where the police act more like state sponsored mafia?
Smoking Hot – Yes I have seen a lot of reports about the UK Border Agency being more and more gestapo like in their activities. WHilst I haven’t (yet) been on the receiving end of their attentions I have noticed how different the experience fo arriving in the UK is compared to any other country. The warning posters everywhere and “UK Border” in huge letters making it look like the entrance to a prison colony which is what its starting to feel like with the CCTV and police in paramilitary uniforms.
Rarely come into contact with the police but have had many confrontations with UKBA/Customs. They try everything including harassment, intimidation, lying and so forth against UK citizens … other EU nationals seem to sail through unmolested.
l expect a battle everytime l come into the UK … lately that has been the norm. I really have no respect for them whatsoever and l believe justly so. I find the only way to deal with them is be in their face. If you’re polite and submissive they take that as a sign of weakness.
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The police have always had stupid powers over pubs. When I worked in pubs we were always reluctant to call the police if there was an incidednt because they were all logged to be used against you.
If you had too many calls you would get a review of your licence. That meant we had to deal with stuff ourselves.
Even if a group of drunks walked in and kicked off because you refused to serve them (because you are a responsible pub), if you called the police they would log it as an incidence of violence at your pub and it would look like you were responsible.