https://www.kentonline.co.uk 4 March 2003

Drinkers watch as lorry driver rams their pub.

STAFF and regulars watched in horror as a lorry was deliberately driven into a pub.

Hundreds of pounds of damage was caused to the Sportsman pub in Twydall, Gillingham, in the incident.

Landlord Simon Bell, who only took over the pub eight weeks ago, said: "It was a terrifying experience and we are lucky no one was killed."

Mr Bell said his 18-month-old son was asleep in a room above the pub at the time of the crash.

"My first instinct was to rush to him and my wife Claire to make sure they were alright," he added.

The incident happened at around 10.50pm Sunday. Mr Bell said there had been a disagreement in the bar after which a man said he would be back with a lorry which he would crash into the pub.

He said the man had first tried to drive his lorry into the snug bar but could not negotiate the grass bank in front of the building.

Instead he took the 7.5-ton vehicle into the car park and reversed it twice into the pub wall, demolishing both the wall and a lamppost. Damage to the wall is estimated to be £500.

"The back of the lorry came right up into the bar we are renovating as a sports bar," Mr Bell said. "He did a proper job and took down a lamp post as well.

"We were starting to turn The Sportsman into a nice pub. It had a bit of a bad history, but we got rid of all the drug dealers and were beginning to turn it around.

"The pub has been refurbished in the last eight weeks and now this has happened."

Mr Bell was hoping to be given the full tenancy of The Sportsman on March 12 by The Unique Pub Company, which owns the premises. Now he is not sure if this will happen.

Medway Police were called to the pub but as yet no one has been arrested.

A spokesman for the police said they are continuing with their enquiries and would urge anyone with any information to contact them on 01634 884252.