ONE of Bexley’s landmark pubs has escaped a suspension of its licence for serving underage drinkers.

Bexley police withdrew its application for a four-week suspension at the Cross Keys pub in Erith High Street, during a Bexley council licensing sub-committee hearing to review the pub’s licence.

PC Eddy Boston, Bexley police’s licensing officer, said a suspension of the drinks licence was not designed to be a punishment for the pub, but a breathing space to allow it to train its staff.

But the hearing was told licensees Derek McKenzie and Sharon Taylor are already halfway through a training programme.

PC Boston said: “On the understanding training is already in place, the police will not be pushing for suspension.”

Apologising to the licensing sub-committee for the pub’s failures, Mr McKenzie said: “Suspension would put the pub out of business.

“The pub game is disastrous at the moment.

“The Cross Keys would not survive.”

The sub-committee heard how, following an anonymous letter about underage drinking at the pub, two test purchasers aged 16 had gone to the pub in March and been served drinks.

In a repeat exercise in July, two more test purchasers aged 15 and 16 were also able to buy alcohol.

The sub-committee added extra conditions to the pub’s licence.

But a Bexleyheath off licence was not so lucky.

It has had its licence revoked after repeatedly selling alcohol to underage youngsters and breaking its licensing conditions.

Alers Stores in Alers Road, had its licence reviewed earlier this year after the shop failed two test purchases for underage sales last year.

At the hearing in February, a licensing sub-committee added extra conditions to the licence.

But in July, in a test purchase operation involving a number of licensed premises, two girls aged 14 and 15 were again able to buy booze at the shop without challenge.

Police and trading standards officers who went into the shop also discovered four conditions of the licence were being ignored.