Pub 'closed until further notice' after man found upstairs and arrested

The Earl of Balcarres pub, in Scholes, has voluntarily closed after officers burst upstairs and arrested a man
-Credit: (Image: Google Maps)


A pub has voluntarily 'closed until further notice' after a man was found upstairs and arrested after £3,000 of suspected drugs were recovered.

The Earl of Balcarres pub, in Scholes, has closed after officers burst upstairs and found a man, aged 30, from Bootle in Merseyside. He was arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs and taken into custody.

Greater Manchester Police said an estimated £3,000 of drugs, along with a quantity of cash, were seized from the scene.

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The force added that licensing officers and Wigan Council later met with the owners of the pub, who recently reopened the venue, who have voluntarily closed 'until further notice'.

The venue responded on social media, explaining that police entered apartments above the pub, with the flats being a 'totally separate entity from downstairs'. They claimed the pub was closed when the incident happened and that they are cooperating with police on the matter.

A post shared by GMP Wigan on social media said: "[Officers] entered the Earl Of Balcarres public house where a 30-year-old male from Bootle, Merseyside, was located in an upstairs room and discovered an estimated £3000 of suspected Class A drugs and a quantity of cash.

"Licencing officers and Wigan Council have since met with the pub owners who have voluntarily closed until further notice."

Posting about the incident, the venue's owners wrote: "Just to clear a few things up with the recent post by Wigan and Leigh Police - GMP

"The police entered the flats above the pub upstairs via the open door at the side entrance of the pub, the flats upstairs are a total separate entity from downstairs and the pub was shut at the time this happened.

"It had nothing to do with the pub or the business downstairs. We have voluntary closed temporary until the matter has been resolved we are in full cooperation with Wigan Police. Please keep a look out for further updates. Thank you."