A pub has narrowly avoided losing its licence after a barmaid was overheard warning customers to ditch drugs moments before police arrived with sniffer dogs.

The landlord of Sandgate’s Providence Inne has had to step down due to the incident, and his wife has taken over, insisting they “won’t take any nonsense”.

It was on March 7, during a covert operation targeting drug use in pubs and bars, when undercover officers were already inside the venue that they heard the female staff member issue a warning to punters.

Subsequently, Kent Police submitted a request to review the boozer’s licence to Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) in April this year.

At a meeting of FHDC’s licensing sub-committee on June 2, Kent Police licensing officer PC Alistair Pringle told councillors the force had been out to tackle drug users in pubs.

He stressed the visit “was not targeted specifically against any one premises”, with officers doing a general sweep of the area.

Undercover officers PC Kerry Duncan and PC Matthew Owen entered the pub and ordered non-alcoholic drinks at about 8.30pm.

PC Duncan sat at a table while PC Owen stepped outside for 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, landlord Chris 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.

When police searched the area, PC Pringle told the committee: “One man was found with suspected cocaine immediately outside the venue, and more drugs were found discarded under a bench out front of the premises.”

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”.

The force recommended he step down as designated premises supervisor (DPS), install CCTV, fire the employee, and develop a written drugs policy.

Mr Frost told officers in an email he would comply, but by March 31, neither FHDC nor police had heard of an official resignation.

The inaction triggered the force to request a licence review, which, potentially, could have prevented the pub from selling alcohol or opening late.

But during Monday’s licensing meeting, Mr Frost argued the delay was down to paperwork problems, which are now resolved, and he had previously only run chain pubs, so the licensing procedures were new to him.

“We have found this experience quite difficult to get correct,” he told the committee.

He said the member of staff who warned customers - who no longer works at the pub - was “an experienced barmaid,” and denied that he had ordered her to tell customers to hide their drugs.

His wife Claire Frost, now the DPS, said: “Obviously it’s Chris’ word against the former employee.

“We do not try to attract youngsters, it’s very sensible, apart from that one night.

“We don’t do discos, we don’t open after 11.30pm, and we’re guaranteed to be shut by midnight.”

Mrs Frost stressed the pub has door staff every Friday night, and the workers “do routine sweeps of the toilets”.

“A lot of the local people who drink in there - they know how seriously we’re taking it,” she continued.

“People know we won't take any nonsense.

“The bar staff are very quick to stomp out anything which they think is antisocial.”

FHDC’s licensing subcommittee issued a warning letter rather than take further action.

“We will be issuing a warning letter which will go on your record to reflect the fact the police and the licensing authority had a no tolerance policy on any kind of drug activity,” said chairwoman Cllr Polly Blakemore (Green).

“But beyond that we will be taking no further action.”