A TOWN centre bar has been closed down using emergency powers — for the second time in four months.

The Drayman, Crook Log, Bexleyheath, was shut down last Friday at the request of Bexley police after they claimed CCTV footage showed drug taking and supply on the patio area of the bar on July 8.

The following day, at 8.30am, two people were seen leaving the bar.

An emergency licensing hearing last Friday was told the two people were staggering in the street and had traces of white powder around their noses.

When challenged by police, they claimed they had been taking cocaine during an all-night party at the Drayman.

But attempts by Bexley police’s licensing chief inspector, Steve Murrant, to have the bar’s licence revoked until a full hearing of the circumstances could be held were rejected by councillors at an emergency licensing hearing last Friday.

Mr Murrant said he was “very disappointed” by the councillors’ decision.

Instead the emergency Bexley Council licensing sub-committee meeting decided to close the bar for only seven days.

It will reopen on Friday morning.

The hearing also placed some extra conditions in the bar’s licence.

These include having a registered door supervisor posted on the patio area and regular 30-minute patrols of the patio by a member of the bar’s management team.

The sub-committee said there was evidence of a lack of management control, which meant the bar was unable ”to prevent serious crime and disorder; the open taking of Class A drugs on the premises.”

The bar was ordered to work with police to identify and bar everyone caught on CCTV taking and sharing drugs.

In March, another emergency hearing briefly closed the bar following allegations of serious disorder, including fights and rowdy behaviour.

This followed the bar’s decision to drop its age limit and allow in 18-year-olds.

At that time, the Drayman had been unable to supply police with footage which may have captured the incidents, because no-one could work the CCTV system.

Mr Murrant said on Monday he had wanted to keep the Drayman closed while police reviewed all its CCTV tapes to decide what, if any, criminal offences had been committed.

He said officers would be keeping a close eye on the Drayman until a full hearing takes place sometime next month.