A central Brighton pub could lose its alcohol licence after a brawl uncovered drug issues.
Sussex Police called for a review of The Kings Arms’ licence in George Street after the fight there on Friday 25 September, which resulted in two men being charged with assaulting a police officer.
The grounds for the summary review are that Sussex Police believes the premises is “associated with serious crime and disorder”.
A report released ahead of a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing review on Tuesday 20 October, lists a series of issues Sussex Police have had with the pub since May 2025.
The venue, owned by the Craft Union Pub Company, is currently unable to sell alcohol as it has no designated premises supervisor (DPS).
The previous DPS Gary Wilson was “removed by the premises licence holder” following the force’s request for a review.
Included in the papers is Superintendent James Collen’s application for the review which said an “altercation” began inside the venue.
Supt Collen said: “We appreciate that incidents inside licensed venues will occur. However, this one was particularly violent and could in our opinion have been easily prevented.
“From viewing the CCTV (closed circuit television) it is clear that intoxication levels from alcohol and controlled drugs in all probability were high.
“When there was an early opportunity to ask the main instigator to leave following a low-level altercation, this did not happen.”
Supt Collen confirmed there were signs of drug use with “baggies” found in the men’s toilets along with “hideouts” for drugs and positive drug testing on various surfaces.
A personal amount of cannabis was found hidden on top of a urinal cistern in the men’s toilets.
The morning after the incident, Sussex Police licensing officers carried out swab readings throughout the pub, with the results redacted in the report.
The report said: “Whilst carrying out drugs swabbing at the premises, the officers located a number of used deal baggies with trace amounts of white powder.
“They also located a personal use amount of what was believed to be cannabis stashed on top of the urinal cisterns in the male toilets.
“A shopping list was also located on the back of a Ladbrokes slip which included the items ‘Coke – 4 grams’ and ‘or an 8 ball’ – both believed to be drug references.”
A full licensing check carried out on Monday 28 September found issues with the both parts of the licence where one part was not display in a prominent place, and the DPS’s address was not correct.
The CCTV was also running seven minutes fast, which had been identified as a problem the business needed to address during a licensing check on Wednesday 14 May 2025.
Licence conditions required the Kings Arms to employ a mobile support unit when SIA registered door staff are not on duty. However, there was no mobile support unit contract in place.
The pub did have a Business Crime Reduction Partnership radio but there was no power to the base station and the radio was out of battery.
Wesley Douglas, 55, of Ashton Rise, Brighton, and Oliver Rowsell, 21, of Bowring Way, Brighton, have been charged with assaulting a police officer on Friday 25 September.
They are due to appear before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on December 18.
Previous incidents at the Kings Arms listed in the report include allegations of a fight on Friday 16 May 2025.
On Wednesday 21 May 2025 a regular was spotted with a white substance on his nose and initially refused to leave after a drug wipe turned positive, but did leave after security staff were involved and was banned.
A report of harrassment was made by the previous DPS in July 2025 against the banned individual.
On Sunday 7 December, a “problem person” was reported inside the venue and police were called after she left and returned to “throw chicken” at the pub.
On Sunday 29 March, a drunk individual who had been ejected from the pub claimed he had been assaulted.
On Monday 30 March Sussex Police received intelligence of drug dealing outside the pub.
On Friday 8 May a person who works nearby reported clientèle at the pub making racially motivated comments.
On Friday 17 July police were called to a hate crime and common assault.
The report from Sgt Mark Redbourn said: “Without strong and consistent management, it appears that customers have been able to deal and
take drugs within the premises.
“There is also evidence on two occasions in the last six months where customers who have been removed from the premises due to intoxication have continued to cause issues for police and ambulance services hours after they have attended the Kings Arms.
“This use of valuable resources could have been prevented if interventions had been made at an earlier point within the premises e.g. not allowing these customers to become intoxicated.”
A post on the pub’s Facebook page, believed to be written by Mr Wilson said: “So for a little over six months, we had a blast. Got the place rocking and rolling.
“Had some great nights. I was lucky enough to meet some fabulous people. Had some awesome staff and made some proper friends.
“But now the adventure is over. Through no real fault of my own but it is what it is. I will miss you people of Brighton.
“You guys make the Kings Arms the very special place that it is. Peace and love to all of you. Hopefully see you soon.”
The virtual hearing is due to take place at 10am on Tuesday 20 October.
When the police ignore the open dealing and drug dealing on our streets it is impossible to keep them out of venues. Even vapes these days are impregnated with drugs. SO THE PROBLEM WITH DRUGS IN THE CITY LIES 100% WITH POLICE FAILINGS.
Licensing lies with the council who do not always agree with police advice, plenty of cases where the police get ingnored and the pubs gets more and more chances to upgrade their performance on drugs etc, and always people expect the police to close pubs down, but they can’t,
The problem with DRUGS is 100% down to police failings, with no visable police on the beat OPEN DRUG DEALING AND TAKING is very easy to spot. The Police then blame venues for the drug issue the police have let happen. Licencing should say that due to failings by the police we can’t expect venues to control drugs.
I see widespread use of vapes impregnated with drugs . The police are trying to close down venues when it is the Police that is causing the difficulties venues are having.
Plus i don’t blame the pub for not having a contract with a security firm, private security turn up at venues and openly beat people up, they seem to think they have more powers than the police.
Licencing should be addressing the Police failings which is causing the issues in our nightime economy.
Venue management is responsible for what happens inside venues.
Reducing dealing is possible by, for example, checking the places where drugs can easily be hidden such as on top of and inside toilet cisterns on a regular basis. Many pubs have covers on top of their cisterns that have slopes to prevent things being left there.
Having a security contract is a requirement of the license to operate the venue. That is a legal undertaking by management to have one on place. It’s not some ‘nice to have’.
I don’t believe that there are any licensed premises in the city that doesn’t have traces or amounts of illegal drugs. It is part of today’s environment. Go to nearby Morrisons to see the police in action. A death in their car park, regular drug-taking and fighting yet their licences are never reviewed?
The police are under pressure but a lot of it is down to the ineffective use of resources. Regular, high-profile patrols would stamp out a lot of the overt drug-dealing in this area and reduce the antisocial behaviour.
To blame just one regular pub for the police’s own shortcomings and inaction just beggars belief and further demonstrates their ineffective use of resources.
A very good and fair comment about Morrisons that you made, it’s a bloody disgrace, open drug dealing, open drug taking, aggressive begging, fighting, the car park used as an open toilet, all within a 5 minute walk of the police station,
This pub is having its licence reviewed because of a violent incident between two punters which resulted in an assault against a police officer.
And according to the article there have been several incidents over the last 18 months or so.
Nor is it being blamed for the entire ills of Brighton & Hove pubs.
it is having it reviewed because of the actions (or inactions) of the pub management.
I understand that the manager has been told to vacate the premises. I believe that his personal licence should be looked at but fail to see the difference between what happened here and a virtually daily occurrence at the Morrisons property. I would suggest that is discriminatory behaviour when the police do not maintain a presence, allow general disorder on their doorstep and their default position appears to be to close a popular pub. What is sauce for the goose …
You are wanting to treat the two premises the same but what happens in one isn’t a reason to do (or not) something to the other.
Morrisons will have a license to sell alcohol. This pub does as well but each license is based on the premises so the pubs license isn’t the same as the shops.
I don’t know what the situation is with the Morrisons car park in terms of needing a license or provide security patrols or have CCTV and whatnot. It’s probbaly somewhere on the councils website.
And the popularity of a pub isn’t an excuse for the licensee to break the licence conditions.
And the licensing system doesn’t give the police to close a premises down. It has to present evidence to the panel.
There are licences for premises and also personal licences to dispense alcohol. (You do realise that license is a verb?) The manager has been removed from his position and home above the pub. If he has been negligent, his personal licence will be reviewed. There is nothing to stop a diligent new licensee from taking over and running a good business. The police, rather than working with the owners to facilitate this, are intent on closing the premises and objecting to the premises licence. There are more incidents of trouble caused by the patrons of Morrisons than this pub. What I am highlighting is the hypocrisy of this duality and the police approach. It gives cause for concern that if there is evidence of wrongdoing, why has it been allowed to proliferate and spiral out of control? Is it police inaction that has contributed to the escalation of events?