King's Arms Brighton Licence Review: Police Ask for Revocation as Council Panel Meets on 20 October
The King's Arms on George Street, Brighton, in a photo taken in November 2015 (Photo: Simon Carey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph)
The King’s Arms on George Street, Brighton, has had its licence suspended since 30 September, and on Tuesday 20 October a Brighton & Hove City Council licensing panel will decide what happens next. Sussex Police asked for the review after what it calls an incident of violent disorder at the pub on Friday 25 September, and is now asking the panel to revoke the licence altogether.
Source: Brighton & Hove City Council Licensing Panel papers for 20 October 2026, including the police application and further letter
What the panel will decide on 20 October
The hearing is a summary review, a fast-track process the council uses when police certify that a premises is associated with serious crime or disorder. It starts at 10am on Tuesday 20 October and is held virtually on Microsoft Teams. The panel is made up of three councillors: Councillors Cattell, Czolak and Hewitt.
The council’s report says the panel must decide at the end of the hearing, and lists what it can do:
- Modify the conditions of the licence.
- Exclude a licensable activity.
- Remove the designated premises supervisor from the licence.
- Suspend the licence for up to three months.
- Revoke the licence.
The licence holder is The Craft Union Pub Company Ltd. The papers and the meeting page are on the council’s website.
What Sussex Police says happened on 25 September
In its application, signed by Superintendent James Collen on 28 September, Sussex Police says it received a call over the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership radio at 22:50 on Friday 25 September reporting a large disorder inside the pub, and that officers needed urgent help. It says police had received a 999 call from the pub’s designated premises supervisor one minute earlier, and that a large-scale disorder was under way when officers arrived.
The application says an argument started inside the venue at about 22:45 and quickly escalated, spilling out onto the street, and that the pub then closed voluntarily until it reopened on 28 September. The force says the investigation is ongoing, with multiple suspects and arrests made on the night and afterwards.
“We appreciate that incidents inside licensed venues will occur however this one was particularly violent and could in our opinion have been easily prevented.”
Superintendent James Collen, Sussex Police, in the summary review application
The Superintendent’s certificate says immediate action was needed “to prevent further serious crime and serious disorder where harm or injury may be caused to the public”, and that police were asking for the licence to be suspended while the full review was arranged.
The drugs police say they found
Police licensing officers visited in the days after the disorder to carry out drug swabbing. Sussex Police says they found used baggies with trace amounts of white powder, a personal use amount of what was believed to be cannabis stashed on top of the urinal cisterns in the male toilets, and a shopping list written on a betting slip that included references to “coke” and an “8 ball”, which the force believes are drug references.
“With the drugs readings, evidence of drug taking/stashing within the premises as well as a ‘shopping list’ featuring drugs, it is highly likely that drugs are being sold, distributed and consumed within the King’s Arms.”
Sussex Police, further submission to the council, 13 October
Police say the Secretary of State’s guidance on the Licensing Act says this kind of criminal activity should be treated “particularly seriously”, and that this is why they used the summary review.
The licensing check on 28 September
On Monday 28 September, the day the pub reopened, police licensing officers carried out a full check. They found around six customers drinking inside at 10am, and they reported the following.
The cameras themselves were recording all the required areas and were of good quality, according to the police letter.
Seventeen months of contact
The further letter, dated 13 October, sets out Sussex Police’s dealings with the pub from May 2025. Here are some of the entries it lists.
Police also say the pub has had four different designated premises supervisors in those 17 months.
“At present, Police Licensing have lost confidence in the Premises Licence Holder as an operator due to the consistent failings we have seen over the last 17 months.”
Sussex Police, further submission to the council, 13 October
What the licence holder has done
The police letter also lists steps the licence holder has taken since 25 September.
- Closed the pub voluntarily on 26 and 27 September.
- Agreed to stay closed until the full review is heard.
- Removed the designated premises supervisor after receiving the review application and the interim decision.
- Offered some initial new licence conditions.
- Arranged a meeting with Sussex Police licensing for 14 October.
The licence holder did not attend the panel meeting on 30 September, but sent an email, the council’s decision notice says. The panel suspended the licence with immediate effect.
“The panel agreed with the police and considered that suspension of the licence was the only effective solution to promote the licensing objectives particularly that of the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety and to prevent the occurrence of further serious crime and disorder.”
Brighton & Hove City Council Licensing Panel, notice of interim steps, 30 September
The licence currently shows that sale of alcohol by retail is prohibited because there is no designated premises supervisor on the premises.
What neighbours have told the council
The council received representations from residents and its own licensing team supporting the police application. The papers include two from residents, with personal details removed, and they ask for different things.
“It is my opinion that revoking the King’s Arms’ licence would be in the best interest of the local community. Failing that, at least some provisions to curtail overserving and tightening security at the door.”
A resident, representation dated 5 October
“The intention is not to seek closure of the premises, but rather to have practical measures implemented and retained even when managers change so that relations would improve between the business and its neighbours whilst allowing it to continue to trade successfully.”
Another resident representation, dated 8 October
The second representation asks for door security at weekends, Bank Holidays and entertainment events, a supervised smoking area, doors and windows kept closed during amplified music and karaoke, and customers kept out of residential doorways.
What the licence allows
Where it is
The King’s Arms is at 56 George Street, Brighton BN2 1RJ, in the Kemptown ward. The police letter describes its location as off St James’s Street. The council’s papers give the premises licence number as 1445/3/2019/06280/LAPRET and the review reference as 2026/03750/LAREV.
56 George Street, Brighton (Map: Google Maps)
What happens next
The panel hears the case at 10am on Tuesday 20 October and must make its decision at the end of the hearing. We will update this article with the outcome. More from Kemptown and from Council and Democracy is on ImJustBrighton.
Sources
- Council report: Kings Arms, 56 George Street, Licensing Panel, 20 October 2026
- Appendix B: Sussex Police summary review application, 28 September and B1: certificate of the Superintendent
- Appendix B2: Sussex Police further letter, 13 October
- Appendix C: notice of interim steps, 30 September
- Appendix D: representations and Appendix A: the premises licence
More crime and policing news is on the crime page and under Sussex Police on ImJustBrighton.
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