A pub has been shut amid "unworkable" conditions imposed after police called for an urgent licence review following a stabbing.

Landlords Chris and Jackie Prime say their decision to close the Talk of the Town in Leysdown cost them about £15,000 in lost takings over Easter, one of the busiest weekends of the year.

It came following a brawl in which a man was rushed to hospital after being stabbed in the back with a snapped pool cue.

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The couple, who have run the popular seafront venue in Sheppey for 25 years, broke the news of its closure with a Facebook post after late-night discussions with staff.

They are continuing to pay them until a meeting on May 8 when they hope to convince Swale council’s licensing sub-committee to ease some of the conditions, but Chris promised: “If there is no movement then we will keep the pub shut.”

Police Inspector Garry Brimson has already warned even tougher conditions might be in the pipeline.

Chris, a 64-year-old grandfather, said: "Once we had fully studied the conditions we realised we couldn’t carry on.

"The authorities have got what they wanted and closed us down.

“They also made us feel tarnished by sticking a notice on our windows saying the premises were associated with serious crime or serious disorder.

“Would you go into a pub with that on the door?”

“It seems the police are trying to make a scapegoat of us.

"They want to impose far stricter conditions on us than any other venue.

"I just want to be treated fairly and the same as everyone else but it seems there is one law for us and one for others.

“I was flabbergasted – they told me they wanted to close us down for Easter. I pleaded with them to let us stay open.”

He admitted: “It was a particularly brutal incident, the worst I have seen, but it could have happened anywhere.”

Police were called and a search for those involved was carried out but no one was found and no arrests have been made.

Chris said: “It took 40 minutes for police to arrive from Chatham and 90 minutes for an ambulance.

"The police normally do a great job but this time they let us down badly.

"It was a particularly brutal incident, the worst I have seen, but it could have happened anywhere" - landlord Chris Prime

"Leysdown needs more police, especially during the holidays.”

Leysdown Parish Council is holding a public meeting on Thursday, April 27, to demand more police patrols.

Residents have also started a petition.

Chris says fighting kicked off after staff refused to serve two young customers because they didn’t have ID.

They returned to the pool table and a fight broke out between them and two older men.

Chris recalled: “Suddenly pool balls were being thrown and the men started grabbing glasses and bottles from customers and throwing them across the pub at each other like missiles with such a force that one ended up embedded in a wall.”

His son, also called Chris, grabbed terrified customers and children and herded them into the pub’s toilets for safety. Staff sheltered others behind the bar.

The fight, on Saturday, April 8, moved outside where Chris said one man was stabbed in the back several times with a broken pool cue.

Two men were taken to hospital in London. One was released after treatment and the other was discharged the following day.

Police requirements

1 - Plastic glasses and bottles to be used inside the premises after 6pm.

2 - Licensed security staff to be on duty every evening when there is entertainment.

3 - Improvements to the CCTV and record-keeping.

4 - No pool tables to be used after 7pm on Fridays, Saturdays or bank holidays

Chris says the pub already uses plastic glasses outside but says regular customers would object to drinking from plastic.

He also says plastic bottles cost twice that of glass and have a shorter shelf-life.

He said councillors did not give him enough time to book security staff for the Easter weekend and added employing door staff every time he had entertainment – including karaoke – would be uneconomic.

He insisted there had been nothing wrong with the pub’s CCTV system and when police took it away he replaced it immediately with a new system.

He said: “I have no problem with some of the conditions but some are just unworkable.

“They want my staff to write down every time they refuse to serve a customer, take their name or write a description, why they were refused, what drink they had ordered and then get me to countersign it.

“Do they know how busy this pub gets?

“We wouldn’t have time. Surely refusing to serve them is good enough?

"The authorities have completely ignored our 25 years experience of running a pub.”

Chris’s Facebook message was posted at 3.12am on Friday. It quickly gathered 171 comments and was shared 36 times.

He wrote: “Jackie and I have made a big decision. We are closing the Talk of the Town as of now.

“We had a bad fight in our pub and have had a week of problems from the police claiming we have a pub with serious crime or serious disorder.

"They wanted to close us at Easter for 28 days pending a change in our licence conditions.

"We went to the council chamber on Thursday to fight for our rights to keep our pub open.

“After two-and-a-half hours they allowed us to open on their terms.

"We came home and carried on our pub with the new conditions coming into effect on Good Friday.

“But after 25 years we are not willing to be intimidated and told how to run our own pub.

"We thank all our customers. We have shared some lovely times.”

Immediately Facebook was filled with replies supporting the couple.

Darren Hayes wrote: “Sorry to hear this. You are the best publicans my wife and I have ever known.”

Rosie Blackburn wrote: “Gutted for you both. Best pub on the Island, always has been. Idiots always have to ruin it.”

Margaret Burke: “I can’t believe this after all the hard work you have both put in. I am so gutted for you both. I had some great times working there. The place won’t be the same without the Talk. I am so very sad - all because of a few people.”

Gordon Penfold: “Sorry to hear what has happened. Leysdown is being run into the ground by the council.

"The police should do their job correctly and patrol this end of the Island instead of blaming you.”

Tony Perkins: “How can they treat you both like this? Doesn’t all the fantastic work you do for the community, let alone the thousands of pounds you have collected for charity, count for anything?

"You are by far not just the best pub and publicans in Leysdown but for many a mile.

"When the anger dies down I hope you may reconsider.”

Police this week made a fresh appeal for help in tracking down the men involved in a brawl.

A spokesman said: “No arrests have been made but work is ongoing to identify the suspects.

“Officers would like to thank those witnesses who have already come forward with information about the incident.

“If there is anyone who has information about the assaults but has not yet spoken to police, we would like to hear from them.”

Anyone with information should call 01634 792472 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting reference XY15919/17.