Lawrence Arms landlady thanks community for 'unbelievable' support following car crash which smashed a hole in pub

The landlady of a Southsea pub which was badly damaged by a car crashing through its wall has thanked people in the area for their kindness.
By Joe Buncle
Published 20th Feb 2023, 06:00 BST
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A black Mini Cooper tore through the wall of The Lawrence Arms, Southsea in the early hours of Saturday. The pub’s owners were woken by a loud bang and felt the entire building shake from the impact.

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Alison Wearn, who runs the popular pub on Lawrence Road with her husband Dev, said: ‘People have been absolutely unbelievable. All the local businesses have offered us lots of help. All the neighbours that night as well were offering us to go in, asking if we needed a room.

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Lawrence Arms landlady Alison Wearn standing outside her pub hours after a car ploughed through one of its walls.Lawrence Arms landlady Alison Wearn standing outside her pub hours after a car ploughed through one of its walls.
Lawrence Arms landlady Alison Wearn standing outside her pub hours after a car ploughed through one of its walls.

‘There have been so many customers offering to do all sorts. People have been really lovely which is nice as a community to think everyone is looking out for each other. I even had two customers that brought a box of biscuits round. We massively thank everyone for taking the time to message us, phone us, or pop up to see if we need anything.

The crash left a large hole in the street-facing wall of the pub which has now been temporarily repaired. The couple hope to get a clearer picture of when they can reopen after speaking with insurance companies about and further assessing damage to the building.

They have been advised to stay out of their living room due to instability in the structure beneath the window but their living quarters are otherwise undamaged.

Allison expressed that her chief concern is for her seven staff during this period of uncertainty.

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A car ploughed into the front of Southsea's Lawrence Arms pub at around 3am on Saturday, February 18.A car ploughed into the front of Southsea's Lawrence Arms pub at around 3am on Saturday, February 18.
A car ploughed into the front of Southsea's Lawrence Arms pub at around 3am on Saturday, February 18.

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She added: ‘Obviously I employ permanent staff who need to get paid, so it’s just making sure that we’re all alright for however long it’s going to take. Certainly with my older staff, they’ve got bills, mortgages, rent and things to pay so I want to be able to assure them that they’re fine for however long this takes. My concern is getting the pub open for the people we employ, and also for the customers. We have a lot of customers who use the pub for a lot more than just getting a pint.’

Hampshire police are looking for the driver who reportedly fled leaving two injured passengers in the vehicle as part of an ongoing investigation – though nobody has been arrested so far. In a statement released on the day of the crash, a Hampshire police spokesman said: ‘At 2.59am today we received a report of a black Mini Cooper car crashing into a pub in Lawrence Road, Southsea. Two passengers in the vehicle sustained minor injuries. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident and anyone with information can contact us on 101 or report online quoting 44230067802.’

The Lawrence Arms was named as Portsmouth and South East Camra’s Pub of the Year in 2018 and again in 2019. It has been serving pints in Southsea for 135 years since it first opened its doors in Portsmouth in 1887.