20 May 2024 , 13:06
968
0
A UK nightclub has caused controversy thanks to its strict toilet policy.
The unnamed venue in Burntwood, Staffordshire, has warned party-goers they could face a 'lifetime ban' if they don't comply with the anti-drugs measure. Dale Harvey and Holly Booth, who manage the Great British Pub Crawl page on Facebook, made the discovery during one of their famous nights out.
The sign, which uses the double meaning of 'coke' to refer to Coca-cola or the Class-A drug cocaine, reads: "We serve Coke products at the bar. Not in the toilet. We catch you. Lifetime ban. You have been warned."
A snap of the warning was captioned: "Sign of the night so far in Burntwood" and quickly became a hot topic online, where one user user commented: "Great sign. Evil drug. Ruins so many lives."
Another added: "As it should be. Those that sell it in the toilet can't be trusted." A third chimed in: "Ah this is brilliant! Fair play for that place!"
'My son's a drug lord - he's threatened to kill me but I still love him'
Yet some critics argued that such a rule might spell doom for the establishment. "Imagine putting this into your bar and then complaining when you run out of business," vented one critic.
Another detractor said: "Bars and nightclubs are not the place to school people on healthy behaviour. If you are concerned about the physical wellbeing of someone, dont open such a place in the first place." And another patron added: "Why not let them do coke? They'll sell more booze."
The post got mixed reactions from punters (stock)The Mirror has been unable to verify the exact venue where Booth and Harvey found the sign.
The disagreement came in spite of the hefty penalty those in carrying the drug can receive. In the UK, possession of cocaine can lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years and an unlimited fine. The punishment for supply and production of Class A substances can be as severe as life imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.
Earlier this year, the National Crime Agency (NCA) made its largest ever Class A drugs bust when they discovered £450million worth of cocaine hidden in banana cartons at Southampton's port.
Police dismantled another drug ring that imported narcotics from Canada, Europe and America into the city. This operation had enlisted children as young as 15, arming them with guns, crossbows and knives to protect their stash.
The dramatic increase in illegal drug smuggling is devastating the local community, who have now voiced their concerns about the area's predicament.
Local resident Brian Masters, 69, told The Sun that the area is teeming with drug runners "waiting for calls to pick up and drop drugs off," He added: "Drugs are all over the place," he said. "It's a fact of life, you just have to live with it. It's an everyday thing, it's what young people do."