Council launches cocaine crackdown in Kensington and Chelsea

Licensing officers from Kensington and Chelsea Council are visiting bars, pubs and clubs across the borough to test for cocaine use.

The licensing officers, who will usually be accompanied by local Safer Neighbourhoods police officers, will be using swabs to test for cocaine in toilets.

It is expected that all bars, pubs and clubs will be tested in the next six months and letters have been sent to the licence holders to seek their cooperation.

The exercise, launched to coincide with National Tackling Drugs Week (Monday 19 to Friday 23 May), is aimed at working with licensees to help them put in place measures to minimise or stop cocaine use altogether.

Police have an information sheet that sets out a number of measures licence holders and managers can put in place.

Where officers find traces of cocaine the licence holders will be expected to implement measures to discourage further drug-taking. The premises will be revisited again in four to six weeks to ensure the preventative steps have been taken.

Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environmental Management, said: “Drugs use occurs across the country and the Royal Borough is no different. This exercise will help us identify those premises that have a problem so we can then work with the licensees on how to minimise drug taking.

“We have a very good relationship with the licensed trade and we look forward to working together to reduce this problem.”

The testing involves wiping moist tissues across surfaces. These tissues then turn blue when they come into contact with cocaine. The tissues can detect traces that are not visible to the naked eye.

The council has worked very closely with the licensed trade. The new Best Bar None scheme aims to encourage high standards of management in pubs, clubs and restaurants and create safer drinking environments.