When visiting our bars, there are a number of things to note.

The Union bars strive to be a safe space for all who enter, by following these entry policies, you're helping to create a safer and more welcoming environment.

Entry

  • Entry/exit searches and the right to search whilst inside the venue are a condition of entry. An entry bag search is mandatory on select nights where our security team will inform you, the others will be at the discretion of venue management.
    • On occasion, stricter searches will be enforced, these are often a reflection of incidents prior and as such could entail; bag searches, large pocket searches, wallet/purses, phone cases, etc.
    • On occasion, we operate spot searches and full-body searches.
    • Unwillingness to comply with any form of searching will result in your immediate refusal/ejection from the bars.
  • The last entry is at Midnight every day (unless the license ends earlier, though we reserve the right to close doors earlier).
    • This is a condition of our license. A rare exception would be when we have a Temporary Events Notice.
  • Only those 18 and over will be admitted to the Students’ Union UCL Bars. All persons under 18 years of age must leave the premises before 19:00. Private events must communicate minors in attendance in advance, we reserve the right to refuse if no prior arrangements have been made.
  • Customers must not bring in alcohol. Those in your possession will be confiscated without return if you don’t declare them on entry.
    • Customers should declare sealed soft drinks on entry too. Any liquid in an unsealed container will be confiscated on entry simply because we cannot assume alcohol has not been added to the vessel.
    • Any drink purchased within the bars must not leave the premises. This is a strict stipulation on our license and doing anything to the contrary will be in breach of that.
    • Drinks bought from The Institute Bar may be consumed on the Level 4 Terrace (alongside The Institute Bar). Any drink purchased within the bars must not leave the premises. This is a strict stipulation on our license and doing anything to the contrary will be in breach of that.
  • All customers are required to present their ID on entry at Phineas, Huntley, and Mully’s. Strictly no ID, no entry, our security team will check your IDs as a condition of entry. You may also be required to present your ID on entry at The Institute too, this is likely for event purposes. One should always be prepared to show their ID at any time during their visit to the Union Bars.

    Refusing or being unable to present your IDs will result in your immediate refusal/ejection from the bars.

    All forms of ID must be physical, no photographs on devices or photocopies are allowed, per our entry policy. Expired UCL Cards will be confiscated as per UCL guidelines.

    Valid IDs are as follows:
    • UCL staff/students/alumni must show both of the following:
      • Valid UCL Student ID / Staff ID / Alumni* / Honorary Life (excludes UNiDAYS, Library/Halls etc).
      • Photographic (Government) ID
        • Passport, National ID Card, Driver’s License, Service Card, NUS TOTEM+ ID Card
    • Students from other UK Universities must show their valid University ID and Photographic (Government) ID to gain entry (excludes UNiDAYS, Library/Halls etc).
    • All guests must be signed in by a UCL member and the Photographic ID shown to security.
      • Guests remain the responsibility of the signee.
      • Only current UCL Students and Staff may sign in a single guest - this does not extend to Alumni or Honorary Life members.
  • UCL Students can sign in one public guest per whole day, the guest and UCL student must be able to present the above IDs.
    • The guest remains the responsibility of the UCL Student, in some cases, UCL students have been reprimanded based on their guests' poor behaviour.
  • Management reserves the right to refuse entry.

Zero-tolerance

  • We operate a zero-tolerance policy on drugs. This covers but is not limited to non-prescription drugs being brought into the venues and ‘legal highs.’ Anyone found with illegal drugs will be reported to the police and likely banned from all our bars. Anyone seen to be asking for drugs will be removed from the bars and likely banned. Anyone found to be dealing drugs will be reported to the police immediately and face a significant ban from all bars.
  • We operate a zero-tolerance policy on weapons. Anyone found to be in possession of a weapon will be banned from the venue and the police will be called. The legal definition of an offensive weapon is “any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him or by another.”
  • We also operate the Active Bystander and Full Stop initiatives. Student's Union UCL does not tolerate sexual misconduct, bullying, and harassment in any form. If any of our team or the wider student body identifies anything occurring during an event or beyond, it will be dealt with at a senior level and may result in a ban or more. For more information on this, head here.
    • We operate the Ask for Angela and Ask for Clive initiatives.
      • Ask for Angela - Our teams are here to support you. If you’re on a date that isn’t working out, getting unwanted attention or people aren’t taking ‘no’ for an answer, just Ask for Angela. Staff will be able to assist by supporting you to leave the venue safely or ensure you are reunited with a friend.
      • Ask for Clive – Everyone is welcome in our venues; we do not tolerate any form of discrimination. If you witness or encounter any form of abuse on our premises, please contact a member of staff and we will resolve the issue.
        • This is being implemented and will be live soon.
  • It is against the law to smoke in our venues (and any enclosed public space in the UK). Please note, it is also against union policy to vape, or use e-cigarettes within our venues too.
    • Anyone caught smoking in our venues will be immediately removed.
    • Anyone caught vaping or using e-cigarettes will have their device confiscated. Upon a second offence, they will be immediately removed.

Further Policy

  • Under management instruction, bar staff reserve the right to refuse service.
  • Your belongings must remain in your possession, we cannot guarantee their security throughout your visit.
    • Lost property often goes back to the bar, if you lose something, ask at the bar you lost it in.
  • *More information on UCL alumni cards can be found here.
  • Whilst restrictions are no longer the law, be kind and be mindful that fellow customers may wish to continue certain covid-specific policies.
Last updated 6 months ago Read time 5 mins