Wednesday February 25th 2026
The Terrace Pub, Saughton Road
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
A pub where staff ‘ushered out’ underage drinkers when police arrived and which saw them exposed to serious violence has dodged severe penalties.
At Monday’s licensing board meeting, police and licensing officers described a litany of incidents, largely over the past year, at The Terrace pub on Saughton Road.
But with assurances the Greene King branch’s manager had changed, councillors voted to let the pub off with a warning, and minor changes to their operating rules.
Police sergeant Grant Robertson described an incident on October 18 last year where a man entered the premises with brass knuckle dusters on because he ‘became aware his partner’s 16-year-old daughter was drinking’ inside.
Sgt Robertson continued: “[The door steward] literally opened the door and was assaulted, causing a deep laceration on his face.”
The attacker also punched a man in the company of his partner’s daughter in the head, who was uninjured, as well as another man who tried to restrain him, who police could not trace to determine a level of injury.
The police sergeant said it was unclear if premises staff immediately knew police had been contacted, and when officers arrived they heard of several underage persons drinking alcohol.
He added there was a significant delay in police getting access to CCTV footage, because the duty manager ‘allegedly couldn’t operate the system’.
During a review of the footage, police saw 30 young persons within the bar, including three as young as 16, and bar staff appearing to pour alcoholic drinks for the young people with Challenge 25 not in use.
And he added it was ‘really quite alarming’ to watch staff ‘proactively’ usher young people out of the premises before police arrived.
He continued: “There’s no debating that it was a very proactive ‘you need to leave’”.
Sgt Robertson described several other incidents where young people were seen inside the bar, including one 17-year-old who ‘appeared very familiar’ with patrons within.
He stressed to councillors that staff ushering young people out of the premises before police arrived represented an ‘attempt to avoid police detection’.
Council licensing officers also described several issues with noise and the premises breaching the conditions of its licence around allowing drink outside.
The pub’s operator, manager and a representative of Greene King were in attendance to argue for the premises, as well as licensing solicitor Catherine Loudon.
Operator Andrena Smith-Bowes said the previous duty manager had been working at the pub for nearly 14 years, and had been dedicated to the pub.
She added that licensing standards attendance at the property had ‘taken their toll’ on her, and that the situations the police raised had caused her to ‘lose all her confidence’.
As such, Smith-Bowes said, the woman had surrendered her personal licence to the council, becoming a member of bar staff, and was replaced by a new manager.
The woman was said to have taken strong action in recent months, firing two members of staff and having staff go through re-trainings.
Ms Loudon said the pub had some proposals to address the concerns going forward, including limiting use of the pub’s terrace to 5pm in winter and 7pm in summer.
Additionally, she said the bar has already begun a curfew to bar entry from 11.30p onwards, and is now closing at 12.30.
She added that Ms Smith-Bowes wanted to retain some access for children and young people for social games attended by ‘younger generations’.
SNP councillor David Key asked Greene King representative Colin Lawson what steps he had taken as incidents occurred.
He said issues with the pub came to his attention in ‘mid-2025’, and that he had held 12 meetings since then.
Additionally, he said he had the pub staff attend various trainings, and update procedures.
Cllr Key then asked whether Greene King would be more proactive in future with other licences.
Mr Lawson replied: “I’ve tried to be as compliant as possible throughout, and go over and above what the minimum requirements are.
“And Andrena has several pubs with us, and is a great partner to work with, and was always very forthcoming with different ideas that improve the safety of people in our premises.”
He later added that he was responsible for oversight of 34 Greene King pubs, and that he was only made aware of one issue of underage drinking in October 2025.
He said he further learned more in January 2026.
Cllr Key said: “In the past few months, there doesn’t seem to have been any incidents, and maybe your interventions have changed their behaviours.
After convener and Liberal Democrat councillor Louise Young asked for opinions, Cllr Key said: “I get the feeling that things have made a change at the Terrace.
“I’d be willing to go along the lines of a warning letter and keep the staff on their toes until things are proven, done, approved, which I think they will do, given the actions they take.”
Cllr Young said: “Yes, I agree. When I looked at this on paper, I was concerned. And then this comes to us, and it’s quite a contrast of information.
“Clearly, you’ve taken very strong action on this with replacing the premises manager, and so I do feel like you’re taking it seriously.
“However, I do think that, because this has gone on for such a long time. My first instinct was to think, actually, that we should just remove children and young people’s access.
“However, I hear your point about some of the activities that they get involved in at the weekends.”
Councillors supported a position she put forward, which included the outdoor area closing times, a warning letter, and a limit of 7pm for young people to attend the premises on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
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