A pub landlord had his licence revoked after police raided his premises on three occasions and found drugs and offensive weapons, a Court heard yesterday.

Bradford licensing justices, sitting at Bingley Magistrates Court, ruled Brian Pryce was unfit to hold the licence for the Queens Hotel in Lumb Lane, Manningham.

The chairman of the bench said: "Large quantities of drugs were found on the premises and a considerable amount of money was seized at the time of the raids.

"This all points to the fact that drug dealing has been tolerated by the licensee."

The court heard how the pub was raided by police three times in 18 months.

In the first raid, on May 16 last year, seven people were found with cannabis.

The cook tried to deposit cocaine down the sink and there was a machete and an axe found behind the bar.

On February 3 this year, cocaine was found in a cellar and kitchen and crack cocaine had been hidden inside a pipe in the rear yard.

Five people in the pub were given a warning after being found with cannabis.

The final raid, on May 24 this year, led to three people being cautioned for possessing cannabis and a fourth being arrested for the possession of crack cocaine.

Representing West Yorkshire police, who applied for the licence to be revoked, Mr Pema said Pryce and his family took no measures to put an end to the drug dealing on the premises.

"After the first raid you did nothing and subsequently on the second raid the police found even more drugs than on the first one," he said.

Representing Pryce, Mr Knapp said that the family were a known target for the police.

"This is personal as far as the police are concerned because it is the Pryce family," he said.

"The officer giving evidence said he wanted the premises to shut down and that is what all this is about."

Pryce took over the licence for the pub, which is owned by his brother Michael and his brother's partner Claire Renton, in July 2002.

Mr Pema said they ran the pub as a family business and had also enlisted the help of his other brother, Anthony.

The family own The West End Bar, another pub on Lumb Lane.

Bradford licensing justices said that Pryce had abdicated his duties as licensee to his brother Michael Pryce and his partner Claire Renton.

"He appears to know little of what goes on at the hotel or even the price of a lager at the establishment," said the chairman.

Pryce was ordered to pay court costs of £3,000.