A PUB has lost its licence after police discovered evidence of drug dealing in the kitchen and a £72,000-a-year cannabis factory in the upstairs flat.

The Clock Face Inn in Old Hall Street, Kearsley, was raided on December 2 by officers who found plants of varying maturity, snap bags, scales, cocaine and cannabis.

Bolton Council temporarily withdrew the pub's premises licence until yesterday's (Jan 20) meeting at which the authority's licensing sub-committee decided to revoke the licence permanently.

Committee chairman Cllr Susan Haworth said: "The sub-committee considered this appropriate, necessary and proportionate to promote the licensing objective of the prevention of crime for the following reason: police evidence linked the premises to serious crime so that it is necessary to revoke the licence to ensure no further drug offences take place."

PC Andrew Vernon, the Bolton police licensing officer, told the committee: "This premises operated as a public house which appeared to be a front for what was taking place. It's my opinion that drug use and dealing was going on on that licensed premises."

His colleague, PC Matt Rigby, said: "People knew to go to that licensed premises if they wanted to buy cocaine and cannabis."

During December's raid, officers found 30 mature cannabis plants and hydroponics equipment in a bedroom in the living quarters above the pub and 10 less mature plants in the kitchen of the living quarters.

PC Vernon said this set up could produce a harvest worth £18,000 four times a year - producing an annual yield of £72,000. In the pub kitchen downstairs officers had discovered £200 in cash, a bag of cannabis bush and 4g of cocaine with a street value of £200 alongside scales and snap bags with drugs residue on them.

The committee heard the former designated premises supervisor (DPS), Samantha Jones, had left in September 2014 but licence holders Kensington Maintenance Logistics had failed to replace her and update its licence to remove her name.

PC Vernon said: "The premises operated for over a year without a DPS. It's an absence of a DPS that had led to this premises having been used to cultivate cannabis and for drug dealing. The pub kitchen was easily accessible to anyone who wished."

No-one from Kensington Maintenance Logistics, based in Miles Platting in north Manchester, was present at yesterday's hearing to offer evidence.

But Bolton Council's principal licensing officer Patricia Clyne told the panel company director Philip Wheeldon 'is happy to abide by the panel's decision but would like to keep the licence, from a community perspective'.

A woman living at the pub at the time of the raid has been given notice to leave by Mr Wheeldon, the sub-committee was told.

Kensington Maintenance Logistics have 21 days if they wish to lodge an appeal against the revocation of the licence with Bolton Magistrates' Court.

Two men who were arrested on the day of the raid remain on bail pending further enquiries, police confirmed.