Landlord attacks pub drugs raid

The landlord of a Black Country pub raided by 70 police today said "there are no drugs in my pub".

Officers in riot gear raided the Pig and Trumpet, Wednesbury, on Friday night and arrested three people after reports of drug dealing. Six riot vans arrived at the Market Place pub for a raid called Operation Surety III, shortly after 10pm.

After searching people police recovered small quantities of cannabis. The pub is now set to have its licence reviewed.

Landlord John Nicholls, aged 63, who has run the pub for five years said: "Ordinary law abiding citizens on a night out had done nothing but enjoy themselves were detained. When are the police going to realise that 90 per cent of the general public are law abiding and are not the enemy. For myself, everyone who knows me in Wednesbury knows how anti-drugs I am.

"If I catch anyone with drugs they are barred for life. I am an honest citizen trying to run my pub properly and lawfully."

Friday's raid saw officers block off the pub using riot shields, fearful that the raid could have sparked public order offences.

Police said more than 200 people were there. They were led out one-by-one past sniffer dogs to a cabin for full body searches.

Despite police executing a drugs warrant, none of the arrests were drugs related, with two for breach of anti-social behaviour orders and another for disorderly behaviour.

Inspector Akeel Najib, said the raid had been a success and followed complaints from the public. He said: "From our point of view the whole operation was very successful. We are trying to send a message to the community that we listen to the community and we are doing something about it and that was the aim of the operation.

"As far as we are concerned it was fully justified, there was planning, you go in not knowing what to expect, there was over 200 people in the premises and I didn't want officers or people having a drink injured.

"We executed a drugs warrant and drugs were recovered, from our point of view it was very successful."