Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everybody to the meeting.

There were none.

Introduction:

The Licensing Enforcement Officer outlined the circumstances as set out in the report. Members were informed that an application to review the Premises Licence for the Bantam Public House was received on the 6^th April 2017 under the Licensing Objectives of the Prevention of Crime and Disorder and Public Safety.

Representation by the applicant:

PC Chris Stevens from Northamptonshire Police addressed Members, first commenting that the size and location of the pub were important factors; maximum capacity would only see approximately 280 customers inside. The pub closed at 6am on weekends and was the latest opening premises in the area. Compared to other premises open as late, the Bantam was represented disproportionately in the crime figures and incident reports by no small amount.

PC Stevens informed Members that he would be focusing on 3 incidents but asked that every other incident be recognised, as each crime had a victim who had either been assaulted or the victim of theft.

The first incident occurred on 1st April 2017 at roughly 5:45am. The injured person (IP) had been inside the pub, as had his attacker, before an altercation occurred outside. It was during the altercation that the IP was stabbed twice; once in the chest and once in the back. He suffered a punctured lung, requiring a chest drain and surgery. It was noted that the offender had been inside the pub before the incident took place, so PC Stevens stated it would be reasonable to assume that a weapon had also been brought inside. It was also noted that the IP stated that the offender and his group of friends had caused several fights over the course of the evening and no action was taken by door staff to eject the group from the premises. There were also no calls to the Police regarding the incident, the first notification being from the CCTV controller and when the IP presented himself to hospital.

At this point in the meeting, PC Stevens showed Members footage of the offender entering the premises. Door staff did not search him, nor did they use their hand held wands. They did use them on a man who followed the offender into the pub, because he had his hands in his pockets as he entered. However, PC Stevens stated that as the doorman only poked at the man’s jacket instead of sweeping the wand across the man’s body, the search was insufficient. The footage then showed the IP, offender and company walking away from the pub to a location off camera, then the offender returning to the premises minutes later, only to be refused entry. Members’ attention was drawn to the pub’s “Door Staff Coverage Area” within the risk assessment and “Dispersal Policy” which PC Stevens stated were not adhered to, as the footage showed no door staff outside the pub when the incident occurred and at the end of the night, patrons were all ejected from the premises, including the IP, to the location of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Chair to move:

“That the public and press be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that there is likely to be disclosure to them of such categories of exempt information as defined by Section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 as listed against such items of business by reference to the appropriate paragraph of Schedule 12A to such act.”

SUPPLEMENTARY AGENDA

Exempted Under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

Para No:-