Landlords 'heartbroken' over tenants' management of bar near Twickenham stadium after rugby day complaints | Local News | News | Teddington Nub News | by Tilly O'Brien

# Landlords 'heartbroken' over tenants' management of bar near Twickenham stadium after rugby day complaints

By Charlotte Lillywhite – Local Democracy Reporter 12th Jun 2026

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Local News by Charlotte Lillywhite – Local Democracy Reporter 1 hour ago

A new licensing application has been submitted for The Scrummery on Whitton Road, Twickenham (Image via Google Maps)

Owners of a bar near Twickenham's Allianz Stadium have said they are "heartbroken" over its management by their tenants, after residents' complained about antisocial behaviour from punters since they took over.

Karen and Colin Griffiths opened The Scrummery in 1996 near Allianz Stadium, formerly known as Twickenham Stadium, before letting the business to operators Bijal and Rupesh Soni in 2021.

The venue on Whitton Road had its licence reviewed by Richmond Council on Wednesday (June 10), after a request from residents who said they faced severe disruption on rugby days due to excessive noise and drunken behaviour from customers since it had been taken over by the new operators.

The review was supported by Richmond's licensing team.

Residents said they had tried to engage with the Soni family for years to resolve the issues, which they said included loud music continuing long after matches, along with punters urinating in their gardens, harassing women and blocking the pavement.

The committee heard Mr and Mrs Soni had met with the owners, licensing officers and Met Police after residents complained about their management in 2023, where they set out plans to address concerns. But the authority again received complaints about disruption from the venue on match days last year, which resulted in another meeting with residents in January.

Karen and Colin Griffiths at Richmond Council's licensing hearing on June 10. (Credit: Richmond Council)

The committee met on Wednesday to consider a review of the venue's licence, still held by Mr and Mrs Griffiths, along with an application by Mr and Mrs Soni for a new licence with tighter conditions to address the concerns raised.

Mr and Mrs Griffiths said they had issued Mr and Mrs Soni with a Section 25 eviction notice to take back the venue by August 31, which the Sonis' legal representative said they would challenge in court.

Lib Dem councillor Katie Mansfield said the venue "runs more like a disco in the centre of Soho" on match days.

She said: "We are not against this running as a business. It's the way it's running and the fact that it is running for too long and for ways that are harming the local community."

Neighbour Amanda Bail said noise from the venue since 2021 had been "intolerable" and she had dealt with aggressive behaviour from punters that made locals feel unsafe.

She said: "It goes on all day, 12 hours of solid thumping bass. I have two dogs, both of whom have to be put on medication now on rugby events because it's so stressful for them."

She added: "What's gone from a very small café that used to serve hotdogs and burgers on rugby day has become a fully-fledged mini nightclub with major brewery sponsorship."

Gary Inniss, another resident, said he lived with his 96-year-old mother-in-law who was "almost bedridden" and had said the "booming music from The Scrummery… torments her".

Neighbour David Squires added: "I think as residents we've tried all reasonable means, informal means, friendly means, respectful means, to address the issues that have been ongoing since 2021.

"Whenever we've tried to do that, it's been met with the similar kind of, 'yes okay, we listen to you'… but nothing actually really happens."

Colin Griffiths said he and Karen had let the business to the current operators on the basis it was a sushi restaurant, "there was no mention of this being ru

Source: teddington.nub.news

Friday 12 June 2026·4 min read·