A pub landlord has stepped down from his role after a barmaid was overheard warning customers to ditch drugs moments before police arrived with sniffer dogs.

The incident occurred at The Providence Inne in Sandgate on March 7 during a covert operation targeting drug use in pubs and bars.

Undercover officers were already inside the venue when they heard the female staff member issue a warning to punters.

One plain-clothed officer said the barmaid alerted drinkers by saying: “If anyone has any sniff or weed or anything, they need to get rid of it.”

According to police statements, the barmaid later claimed her “boss” had instructed her to give the warning after hearing of drug raids elsewhere that evening.

But pub landlord Chris Frost told police he had only mentioned to the employee that police had been conducting checks at another venue earlier that night.

However, he agreed to step down as designated premises supervisor (DPS) and dismiss the barmaid, along with implementing other measures, to avoid a formal review of the pub’s licence.

Despite this, Kent Police is pushing forward with the review after Mr Frost failed to meet the agreed deadline of March 31.

Details of the incident were outlined in documents submitted to the council by police.

Officers PC Kerry Duncan and PC Matthew Owen entered the Providence Inne undercover and ordered non-alcoholic drinks at about 8.30pm.

PC Duncan sat down at a table while PC Owen stepped outside to get phone signal.

PC Duncan stated she saw a blonde barmaid, who had served them, approach a group of customers and whisper: “The police are on their way with sniffer dogs, if you have anything on you, you need to leave now.”

She recalled a customer responding “I don’t have anything”, before the pub worker then moved from group to group issuing similar warnings.

PC Owen said he also heard the barmaid telling customers outside: “If anyone has any sniff or weed or anything, they need to get rid of it. Police have sniffer dogs and they have just been at the (redacted premises name).”

Uniformed officers and sniffer dogs entered shortly afterwards, carrying out searches and finding suspected cocaine on one person and under a bench outside.

When challenged about what she had been overheard saying, the barmaid asked to speak privately with PC Stuart Obbard.

He stated: “She explained to me that her ‘boss’ had told her to go around and tell the customers to get rid of their drugs as the police had been in the [other venue] earlier in the night with the dogs and raided the venue.”

She repeated this account “a couple of times”, according to PC Obbard.

However, when questioned himself, Mr Frost was described as “non-committal” in his answers.

He agreed to shut the venue down for the night and was told police were considering a formal licence review.

During a follow-up visit from police and council licensing officers on March 13, Mr Frost insisted he had only mentioned drug checks elsewhere to the barmaid and was unaware that officers would be visiting his pub.

Officers wrote that Mr Frost admitted his comments were a “mistake”, but they said his behaviour had raised “serious concerns” about whether he was a “fit and proper person to be running the premises”.

To avoid a possible licence review, police told Mr Frost he would need to step down as DPS and no longer employ the barmaid. They informed him he would also need to recruit security staff for two weekends, ensure adequate CCTV coverage and add a written drugs policy to the pub's licence.

Mr Frost, who only took the pub on at the start of this year, agreed, saying his wife, Claire, would take over as DPS.

He was given until March 31 to complete the changes, but by April 3, no formal paperwork had been submitted to FHDC.

“In fact, there has been no contact or enquiries from the Providence [Inne],” wrote PC Alistair Pringle in his application for the review.

Although licence variations relating to CCTV and drug policies were eventually submitted on May 9, and the DPS transferred to Claire Frost on May 12, the delay means the licence review will still take place.

The council’s licensing sub-committee will meet at 2pm on Monday (June 2).

A spokesperson for the Providence Inne told KentOnline: “Everything that has been asked of us has been complied with now.

“We run a business that supports our community, and we do not tolerate any antisocial behaviour.”