Fury as three pubs shut down
Stricken landlady says South Ayrshire out of touch with trade
Thirsty regulars have been left stunned as THREE pubs suddenly locked their doors.
The popular Central Bar and Redstone Inn in Ayr and the Cassillis Hotel in Maybole all closed without warning last Tuesday.
Now the former licensee who had to give up on health grounds has slammed the drinks authority for causing chaos.
Fortunately the pubs are on schedule to re- open in a fortnight once the licensing wrangle is sorted.
But Kirsty McConnachie, 61, of Maybole, said: “All I was asking for was discretion and South Ayrshire Council were having none of it.
“The company also owns the Crown in Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire licensing board were very understanding allowing us to continue trading.
“It means more than ten people won’t get wages until everything is sorted.
“It is nonsense I was given no lee- way. The board were aware of my circumstances, I had a brain tumour and breast cancer and won’t work again. It is bureaucratic nonsense.”
Her company McConnachie Inns Ltd was wound- up by liquidators in March.
The pubs are now owned by her 23- year- old son Lorne’s company LKM Hospitality Ltd but paperwork was not passed to the licensing authority.
Kirsty said: “I want to reassure everyone the pubs will be back open again as soon as the new paperwork is approved.
“It has been a terrible time and has done damage to the business, which had been built up over 14 years.”
The licensee issue was probably triggered by a police raid on the Redstone the previous Friday. The Redstone is leased out to another operator. After 8pm on the Friday there was a police drugs raid involving up to eight marked and unmarked vehicles.
And later a notice appeared on the door saying: “Pub closed due to circumstances outwith our control.”
A police spokesman said it was not directly connected with the closure.
He said: “There was a search at the Redstone last Friday night in relation to intelligence received.
“This resulted in a couple of minor drug possessions.
“The closure of the pubs was nothing to do with us, but a licensing issue.”
Ralph Riddiough, Head of Legal and Democratic Services at South Ayrshire, claimed they had to act.
He said: “Following the sequestration of the licence holder and no request from the appointed trustee to transfer the licences within the statutory 28 day period, three licensed premises - Central Bar in Ayr, Red Stone Inn in Ayr, and the Cassillis Hotel in Maybole – were required to close.
“It is possible for the trustee to apply for a new licence if they wish to do so. “However, this will be subject to consideration by the Licensing Board.”