NOT even John Wayne could handle the “challenging clientele” at a problem pub.

The Flying Shuttle, in Farnworth, which was being used as a base for drug dealing and after-hours drinking, was shut down yesterday by Bolton Council’s licensing committee.

Police raided the pub and found: ● A bag of cannabis worth £100

● Evidence of cocaine use in toilets

● A broken pool cue— a commonly used weapon

● Cans and plastic bottles, proving customers were not even buying drinks at the pub

Officers were outnumbered four-to-one when they entered the pub at 12.30am on Saturday, March 17.

The raid followed an earlier visit in February, which found the pub was still serving alcohol at 2.45am.

The hearing yesterday heard that the landlord was scared to ask his customers to leave after last orders.

Licensing officer PC Garry Lee said: “Not even John Wayne could sort out the problems there at the moment.

“The supervisor admitted he had problems and was unable to deal with the issues.”

Speaking on behalf of licence holders the Spirit Pub Company, solicitor Matthew Phipps told the hearing: “We are extremely sorry to be here and sorry about the circumstances in which we have been called.”

Spirit, which owns 1,300 premises in the UK, sublet the Flying Shuttle to a third party, which employed a landlord to run the pub.

The hearing heard there had been a high turnover of people running the pub.

Police carried out the raids following numerous complaints from neighbours.

Sgt Rob Knight, who led the second raid on the pub, said: “We took 13 officers with us and we still did not feel safe in that pub.

“Customers were very drunk and very aggressive. The attitude was: ‘We own this pub, not you’.”

Cllr David Greenhalgh, chairman of the licensing sub-committee, said: “Following the evidence, we find customers were served alcohol after 1am and the premises was used for the supply and consumption of drugs.

“These were not isolated incidents and this had become the culture of the premises.”

PC Lee said after the hearing: “We are pleased with the decision. The evidence was substantial and, were the premises to continue to trade, we couldn’t be satisfied.”

The pub was closed on March 19, pending yesterday’s decision.

Yobs lit fires outside the pub last week after it was boarded up.

Following the hearing, the pub company refused to comment. Mr Phipps said he did not yet know if Spirit would appeal against the decision.

If the company does appeal, then the pub could re-open temporarily until the case comes to court.

Spirit also said another pub company had expressed an interest in buying the Flying Shuttle outright.