A PUB landlord and his son have been charged with importing and supplying class A drugs.

Graham Ellis, 56, who runs the Cricketers pub, in London Road, Westcliff, will appear alongside his son Gary Ellis, 35, of Grosvenor Road, Westcliff, and Gary Malone, 44, of London Road, Wokingham, charged with conspiring to import and conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin.

Graham Ellis and Gary Ellis have also been charged with possessing £50,000 of criminal property, after cash was seized from a property they rent, while Graham also stands accused of possessing a disguised firearm after the Metropolitan Police found a stun gun disguised as an iPhone.

They are set to appear at Southwark Crown Court later this month for a plea and case management hearing.

A customer of the Cricketers, who asked not to be named, said: “Graham Ellis has disappeared off the face of the earth. There have been lots of rumours about what has happened to him. There were rumours his flat had been raided and rumours he was in prison because someone had gone to get him clothes. I can’t believe it.”

The pub is owned by Gray and Sons, a family company based in Chelmsford.

John Hubbard, general manager of Gray and Sons, said: “While the investigation continues and Graham is absent, we have taken steps and I have now become the designated premises supervisor for the pub.”

At this stage it is not known where the alleged offences took place, but a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police explained Malone’s arrest was part of a proactive operation.

He was stopped on the M25 northbound Dartford Crossing and it was not a random stop.

The men have been remanded in custody before their court appearance on Friday, October 17.