Here's another string to our bow re. Football Supporters etc watching broadcasts - Hear we go Hear we go hear we go................(sic)

FROM the MU................

Pubs fined over dancing drinkers
By Adam Blenford, Evening Standard
22 November 2002

Each week thousands of drinkers flock to the West End's two huge Pitcher and Piano pubs as part of a night out in London. In these smart modern premises, music and drinking go hand in hand. But now the pubs' owners have been fined £5,000 after small groups of customers were spotted dancing - in breach of licensing laws which ban "rhythmic moving".

Westminster council inspectors took the Pitcher and Piano to task after they spotted a total of 20 people enjoying themselves a little too much on three occasions. The first time, they caught four people dancing. They returned later that day to catch five people in the act. On another occasion, 11 drinkers were spotted indulging in what the council described as "rhythmic moving".

Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, which runs the central London's two Pitcher and Piano pubs on William IV Street off the Strand and Dean Street in Soho, insists that signs on the walls at the pubs warn customers that dancing is banned. Bar staff are also instructed to turn the music down if they spot a rhythmic outbreak.

But the inspectors decided that patrons of the Pitcher and Piano were routinely breaking the terms of the pub's licence, which does not allow dancing. Wolverhampton and Dudley pleaded guilty at a London magistrates court and were fined £2,500 for each offence, plus costs of £1,600. Derek Andrews, Wolverhampton and Dudley's managed house boss, said: "We have spent ages trying to stop people dancing. We have signs up everywhere, managers instruct customers, we turn the music down, rearrange the furniture and so on. "On a personal note, I would like to say that, to the best of my knowledge, spontaneous dancing is not in the top 10 list of great social ills of our time."

Westminster council has also served two written warnings to another pub in Wardour Street about people found "swaying".

Dancing is only allowed if premises have been granted a public entertainment licence - and precisely what this means was spelt out by Bob Currie, Westminster's director of the community protection department, in a letter quoted in The Publican.


"Dancing could be described as the rhythmic moving of the legs, arms and body usually changing positions within the floor space available and whether or not accompanied by musical support."

Westminster council further explained today: "Premises providing music and dancing are required as a matter of law to obtain a licence. "For this reason our inspectors visit premises. We need to observe whether a premises is encouraging entertainment and encouraging people to dance. The two premises of Pitcher and Piano were advised that they were encouraging music and dancing and that they should apply for a licence, they did not."

However, the prosecution is likely to confuse drinkers and anger publicans, coming as the Government pushes through plans to and allow pubs to open for 24 hours a day. Westminster council have opposed the extension of licensing laws, complaining that longer opening hours will attract more noise and crime to central London.



STAND STILL AND BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWO IN A BAR - UK