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Nick Gibson and partner Ben Maschler |
Police retreat on CCTV-in-pubs demand
FEARS over the erosion of civil liberties have forced Islington Police into a rethink over their insistence that all pubs install CCTV cameras.
Following a challenge by a Barnsbury pub landlord, senior officers were told by the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas to review the policy.
Composer Michael Nyman, who lives close to The Draper’s Arms, the Barnsbury pub at the centre of the row, has hailed plans for a review of the rules as “a small victory against the erosion of our liberties”.
Police chiefs admitted last night (Thursday) they were taking advice from Met lawyers over their insistence that CCTV should be a requirement for all pubs applying for licences from Islington Council.
Mr Nyman spoke out following the revelation that businessman Nick Gibson and partner Ben Maschler – son of restaurant critic Fay Maschler – had won their application for a licence to reopen The Draper’s Arms in Barnsbury Street.
The pub’s licence application prompted a huge row after police told a horrified Mr Gibson they would not object to his bid as long as he installed CCTV and shared images of his customers with police.
But, at a licensing hearing on Wednesday, it emerged that officers had withdrawn their demand.
Mr Nyman, who supported Mr Gibson’s stance in an interview with the Tribune two weeks ago, welcomed the police climbdown.
He said: “Now we will be able to avoid police and government snooping as we go about our innocent business of eating, drinking and being. This is a small victory against the erosion of our liberties.”
Mr Gibson added: “The police withdrew the CCTV condition. We don’t want to make a big thing of it. We like the fact that our customers can have a drink without being filmed.”
A spokeswoman for Islington Police said the borough chiefs decided to reconsider the policy after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) intervened in the row.
She said: “Islington Police will consider the need for CCTV to be installed in licensed premises on a case-by-case basis and will make such a recommendation to the local authority licensing panel only when there is justification to do so. We are seeking in-house legal advice regarding our previous local position.”
The business partners are investing £400,000 in The Draper’s Arms, and have drafted in food and wine experts, including Fay Maschler, to advise on their menu.
Mr Maschler said: “My mother is there as a mentor. I grew up around restaurants and that’s rubbed off on me and I love the food industry.
“We’re very much looking forward to getting the pub open now and creating a pub the locals are going to be happy with and proud to have in their neighbourhood. We hope to create a wine list that’s distinctive and interesting and that you won’t find replicated across London.”
Councillors at Wednesday’s licensing hearing agreed the ground floor of the pub can stay open until 11pm. The upstairs restaurant will open until midnight every day, except Sunday when it will close at 11pm.
Mr Gibson and Mr Maschler dropped plans to play recorded music.
Labour ward councillor James Murray, speaking on behalf of 14 residents, told the hearing: “It’s a very dense residential area. I’d be concerned if The Draper’s Arms was known as being open later and people would go round when the other pubs shut.
“The spirit of Barnsbury should be that if you want a late night go somewhere like Angel where it’s less of a residential area.”
The pub is expected to open in the first week of May.
A spokeswoman for the ICO said: “Following our intervention, The Draper’s Arms in Islington is no longer required to install CCTV.
“We will now be speaking with the Metropolitan Police about the blanket requirement for licensed premises in certain boroughs to install CCTV surveillance.
“The use of CCTV must be reasonable and proportionate if we are to maintain public trust and confidence in its deployment. Installing surveillance in a particular pub to combat specific problems of rowdiness and bad behaviour may be lawful, but hardwiring in blanket measures across entire areas and including pubs where there has been no history of criminal activity is likely to breach data protection requirements.” |
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