THE FUTURE of the Dearne Hotel remains uncertain following a drugs raid which saw £30,000 worth of drugs being recovered.
Police are still considering the future of the pub at St Andrew's Square, Bolton upon Dearne but the Chronicle understands it could be shut down with a 'crackhouse closure' order - making it the first pub in Barnsley to be hit with such legislation.
The landlady at the pub said "as far as we are concerned this pub will not be closing" despite a temporary closure from Friday to Monday because of licensing issues.
A spokesperson for Admiral Taverns, which owns the Dearne Hotel, said: "“We will be meeting the police next week to discuss the future of the Dearne Hotel. Until then, the pub will continue to trade as normal. We have no further comment to make at this time.”
The discussions come following the raid a fortnight ago when more than 100 officers burst in to the pub at 10pm on a Friday night with sniffer dogs after a series of complaints by local residents and messages left with the Dearne Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).
Officers searched 90 people and recovered £30,000 worth of what was believed to be Class A drugs which are being forensically tested.
Superintendent Dave Hartley: “The Safer Neighbourhood Team are here to serve and protect Dearne residents and the operation sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the misuse of drugs in this area and its impact on the community”.
