Following last month’s widely reported incident at The Rockingham Arms in Elephant and Castle, a series of revised hospitality security recommendations are due to be announced. During the evening of Thursday 19th March, a camel that had escaped from London Zoo earlier that day reportedly entered the Wetherspoons and approached the bar. 

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Witnesses were initially alarmed. However, as staff members didn’t seem to react, some customers I spoke to began to assume that the animal was fake and was connected to “some kind of promotion”. Andy, a well-known local here, said that “[he] thought [he] had cracked it and told everyone Camel beer from Vietnam was launching in Spoons.”

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According to CCTV, the camel entered through the outdoor seating area during a temporary lapse in door supervision. Interviews with door staff indicate that the reason for the door being unsupervised between 19:23 and 19:29 is an alleged planned distraction. Investigators suspect that the camel had conspired with enthusiastic members of the public on its way to South East London from Regents Park. The security team recall being rushed by distressed passers-by to New Kent Road, which is out of sight from the venue, to stop a violent fight. They arrive to witness two people having a heated discussion and no violence was reported in that area during the timeframe. While this was happening, the 22-year-old rebellious camel pushed through the double doors and seamlessly approached the bar. Confusion from bar staff incited terror amongst the customers and security arrived back to screams and chaos as the camel began walking through and over tables.

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Talks are currently in place to finalise several updated security measures but they are expected to be tightly controlled and will clamp down on who or what is allowed into a venue that sells alcohol. Officers believe that the event was “highly avoidable” and warn that higher levels of training will soon be expected for security guards nationwide.