Welcome to the 'The Lying Slut': Britain's toughest pub where staff are too scared to call time... and even 13 policemen didn't feel safe when they walked in

'We still didn't feel safe in that pub,' say police who raided it

Angry regulars start campaign of arson and vandalism in retaliation

Bar staff too scared to call last orders because of aggressive drinkers


A pub branded Britain's roughest boozer has been shut down by police who admit that even a gun-slinging cowboy like John Wayne would fail to control its drunken drug-taking punters.

The Flying Shuttle in Bolton was so bad that it took 13 officers to close it in a raid, who said afterwards 'we still didn't feel safe in that pub.'

It was closed because of regular lock-ins and drug dealing but it appears that the decision has caused more problems for long-suffering neighbours.

Rough: The Flying Shuttle in Bolton has been shut down by police who admitted they felt frightened doing it

Trashed: Angry punters have started fires and vandalised the pub - its sign has been doctored to read 'The Lying Slut'

Some protesting regulars have now turned to arson starting eight fires in one night surrounding the pub in Farnworth, two miles south of central Bolton, chanting 'save our pub'.



They also changed signs, renaming The Flying Shuttle: The Lying Slut, by strategically deleting letters.

Sergeant Rob Knight led the raid and when they came into the pub at 12.30am they were outnumbered four-to-one.



New name: Using bin-liners protesters have renamed the pub they believe should be saved despite its reputation

Behind bars: The car park at the rear of The Flying Shuttle pub, which has been shut off. Scorch marks can be seen on the right side of the building

In February police had popped in to sort trouble there and found that drinkers were still being served at 2.45am, all because the bar staff were too frightened to call last orders.



'We took 13 officers with us and we still did not feel safe in that pub. Customers were very drunk and aggressive. There attitude was "We own this pub, not you",' Sgt Knight told the Daily Star Sunday.



Police found a bag of cannabis worth £100, evidence of cocaine use in the toilets, a broken pool cue, likely to be used as a weapon, as well as cans and plastic bottles that had been filled with booze, proving many customers were not even buying drinks there.



Foreboding: The Bolton pub rarely closed because the people behind the bar were too frightened to call last orders. Security was also needed because the area was targeted eight times in one night by arsonists



In a Bolton Council licensing hearing this month the police successfully got it shut down.



Licensing officer PC Garry Lee told councillors: 'Not even John Wayne could sort out the problems there at the moment.

'The potential was there for it to go off at any stage.

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



But in retaliation to the decision yobs then started fires and vandalised the pub, terrifying locals.

Vandalised: The wall of the pub is daubed with paint by locals, one of several acts that have terrified people living nearby

Close up: 'BURN IT' has been sprayed onto the red brick wall

In the first week there were three fires followed by one night of chaos where there were an astonishing eight blazes in the area.

Nearby houses were raided for garden furniture and wheelie bins, which were then torched.

Around 20 people, aged between 15 and 40 were behind the fires, and three have been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The fire service have since handed out fliers to 200 homes around the pub while police have added extra patrols of the area.

Unacceptable: Police found evidence of drug-taking and dealing on the premises in several raids

Lauren O'Gorman, who lives nearby told the Bolton News: 'It started when the windows were boarded up. People were starting setting fires and were chanting "save our pub".



Another mother-of-four, who asked not to be named, said she will not stay in the area now.

'There were young lads at my window and they took my wheelie bin,' she said.



'The firefighters had barely left and they were at it again. My nine year old was frightened by it.



'We plan to move out now.'

Solicitor Matthew Phipps, speaking on behalf of licence holders the Spirit Pub Company, said: 'We are extremely sorry to be here and sorry about the circumstances in which we have been called.'