This is Staffordshire --LANDLORDS of a city centre pub say they lost £1,800 after police forced them to close for the weekend following a row over a walkie-talkie radio.
Drinkers in The Unicorn in Piccadilly, Hanley, were told to finish their pints after officers said the pub was in breach of its licence for not having the device.
Now licensees Sandy Davidson and Jill Lawton are demanding compensation after the incident on Friday.
It is second time this year they have had to shut during a weekend.
The pair claim they have previously filled in an application for a walkie-talkie radio so the venue can join the Day and Nightlife Partnership, run by the Business Crime Initiative.
However, they say they have never received a device.
Jill, aged 54, who has been in the pub trade for more than 30 years, said: "I have never known anything like this before. This is our livelihood they are affecting."
The couple officially took the pub over two years ago and there was a radio in the building.
Sandy, aged 52, said: "We asked to keep the radio, but were told we couldn't. So the next meeting we had after we both took on the pub we agreed to join the scheme and have a radio, but we heard nothing."
In July this year they received a letter advising them they were in breach of their licence by not being a member of the partnership. The venue shut because they feared being prosecuted.
Sandy said: "We went to Hanley Police Station and filled in all the forms.
"We borrowed a radio from the Regent, but were told we had to have our own. But we thought we would be sorted for a radio as we had filled the forms in." But on Friday officers served a closure notice on the grounds there was no radio on the premises, which is among the conditions on the pub's licence.
Customer Ian Syme, of Milton, said: "I think it is ridiculous. It took three police officers to come in and do it."
Sandy is hopeful of resolving the issue today.
The radios link pubs in the area and are used so landlords can warn each other if there is a problem in the area,
Sandy added: "I would go out and buy a radio if they would let me, to put a stop to this. Both these incidents will have cost us almost £4,000 in lost takings."
Sergeant Dave Wright, of the force's Northern Licensing Unit, said the issue relates to additional documentation to join the partnership not being completed.
He said: "We were contacted by the Day and Nightlife Partnership to say the membership had not been followed up, despite contact being made with the pub and pub company." Reported by This is 19 hours ago.