The King William IV in Hampstead

A HAMPSTEAD high street pub managed to avoid having its licence suspended after it got hammered for drinkers’ antisocial behaviour and noise at a hearing on Thursday night.

The King William IV, which opened in 1767, was accused of creating “excessive” noise that has kept neighbours awake, not taking complaints phoned into the pub seriously and that some patrons have been throwing up in the street and urinating against residents’ doors.

A Camden council official told the hearing, held online on Thursday night, that one drinker tried to get in to a car belonging to the council’s noise enforcement officers.

Landlord Jimmy McGrath had previously told the New Journal that he was unsure where complaints were coming from and that some issues in Perrin’s Lane may be due to the nearby creperies – which they denied.

Jeremy Bark, representing four residents in Perrin’s Lane – Christa Menegas, Rahul Bakrania, Helen Sherman and Michael Hockley – said the pub had breached its licence – a criminal offence: “There is an awful lot of material here … and it’s not only letters from residents, it’s backed by an overwhelming and compelling evidence, both in the form of videos and photos that are often submitted at the time of their complaints.

“It’s over a prolonged period of time and it’s persistent and consistent in terms of what those issues are. The pub has finally agreed to meet, but only after a review has been brought and they were warned about what the consequences of this might be and seemed to carry on regardless.

“We think there has been disorder, we think there has been public nuisance, harm to children has been engaged and those children can’t sleep and arguably public safety as well.”

He said some residents had lived there since 1998 and had not complained to Camden before. He denied that the residents were noise sensitive or had become more sensitive due to lockdown – instead saying that some people were choosing to go to the pub because of its later licence.

“What [the residents] want, in essence, is their life back,” said Mr Bark, who suggested a week-long suspension of its licence to send a “strong message” to it.

Complaints about noise varied, including one by Mr Bakrania who lives in a flat overlooking the pub’s beer garden included hearing singing and swearing in the beer garden which he thought may offend his children – and Mairead Bergin, who lives opposite the pub and spoke separately to the group, who complained of a karaoke night – thought to be the acoustic piano singalong held on a Thursday.

“The music is so loud, I can’t hear my TV across the road upstairs. I have to turn my TV up in order to hear it. They never stopped until 12pm or 1am they are out in the street. I have had masses of emails sent to them, I’ve gone along to see them, and I just get ‘what’s your problem’.

“Jimmy knows how to run pubs, he needs to follow the rules and we can go back to being neighbours.”

Ms Menegas said she had complained on Boxing Day last year about noise,and returned to find a drinker weeing on her front door. “I don’t know if this was conveyed to Mr McGrath, but for me this was the last straw.”

Mr Bakrania said: “It went from a local community pub that I drank in from time-to-time, it’s sought to become a much livelier place, it feels like a Soho late night bar. Its hours are really really late, 12.30am on a Monday morning, no other pubs are open that late. It seems to attract drinkers where nowhere else is open.”

Hampstead Town councillor Stephen Stark also spoke against the pub. Over 20 complaints were received over the last 12 months, the meeting was told.

Changes introduced include a halt to drinkers being allowed to gather in Perrin’s Lane, no drinks outside after 9pm, and earlier closing at 11pm on Sundays. New CCTV will also have to be installed and staff training given.

Primrose Hill councillor Matt Cooper, chairing the meeting, had suggested a suspension of the pub’s licence for a week – meaning it would close while changes were made.

However Cllr Jonathan Simpson said it would not be appropriate as there had not been a serious enough incident to justify it.

Karen Cochrane, representing Mr McGrath and the freeholder Heikinen said: “I am genuinely sorry for things that we’ve heard and a lack of engagement. I can assure you that will stop happening, that this will be a watershed and we can move forward.

“The pub is doing its level best to deal with the challenges that are faced by the hospitality industry at the moment. My understanding is that the pub was run without incident by Mr McGrath before, and with the conditions put in place, it can be run without incident again.

“There is a notion where the country went very quiet, and everyone liked it, and now its noisier again people are noticing.”

Manager Marija Skauminaite said: “Sorry that we had to be in this position. I am really sorry personally, this situation has gone on for too long. We want to have a harmony and friendly relationship with neighbours.”

Imposing the conditions, Cllr Simpson said: “This is a historic and important pub on an important high street in a lovely part of the borough, but it abuts residents almost immediately. The beauty of Camden is businesses coexisting with its neighbours and working well with them and that is down to to cooperating to ensure that everybody can carry on.”