Licence revoked at town centre venue

COMMITTEE MEMBERS WATCHED CCTV FOOTAGE OF PAST BRAWLS

A BURTON town centre nightclub has been stripped of its licence amid claims of antisocial behaviour and poor management.

The Locomotive, in Station Street, was subjected to scrutiny by Staffordshire Police, which claimed there had been 27 reported incidents of fighting and antisocial behaviour in and outside the club between lockdowns.

In one incident, a mass brawl involving 20 people took place, with some using knives and a baseball bat.

Another involved a fight moving into the road outside the venue, with the victim being punched and kicked.

Police applied to East Staffordshire Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee to revoke the Locomotive’s licence for the second time in less than two years.

The incidents took place between September 17, 2019 and October 31, 2020.

At the licensing hearing on April 28, Nicola Bills, on behalf of the police, took members through CCTV footage of a sample of the incidents.

She also explained several failings in record-keeping; an anomaly in the CCTV footage; and the discovery on the premises of shisha tobacco smoking apparatus, on which no duty had been paid.

Sergeant James Finn, of Staffordshire Police, told the hearing officers had attended 12 of the 27 reported incidents at the venue.

He said the intoxication levels of those leaving the premises was a factor in each case, saying this was attributable to its management.

Sergeant Finn explained to members steps had previously been taken to iron out problems at the Locomotive.

He claimed there were no further conditions which could be added to the licence to address its current issues.

Members also heard from Duncan Craig on behalf of the premises licence holder, Pam Kaur. Mr Craig argued the more time that had elapsed since an incident, the less weight it should carry.

He said “a remarkable amount of resources” had been thrown at this matter by Staffordshire Police and a high degree of scrutiny had been directed towards the premises.

He believes this was his seventh attendance at a hearing of the subcommittee in respect of the Locomotive.

He said the premises was heavily conditioned and pointed out that the premises was in the middle of Burton, which he described as a challenging town to manage.

Mr Craig said in September 2019 the premises was on par with others in the vicinity, remarking its was not a village pub; the incidents described would be what one would expect of a premises in this location; and whoever runs the premises would face a challenge.

He added no criminal proceedings had been brought as a result of any of the matters relied upon in the review application and the licence holder was compliant with the conditions of her licence and had been substantially compliant with Covid measures. He said that this was a time to look forward and argued that members were being asked to take a person’s business away when she had had a horrendous year.

However, members of the subcommittee decided on May 13 to revoke the premises licence for the second time, saying their licensing objectives were being undermined as stated by the police.

A council report added: “Members were also persuaded by the argument put forward by Staffordshire Police that the problems at the premises were attributable to the high levels of intoxication of customers within the premises and on leaving the premises.

“They also concluded that the problems identified were attributable to poor management, which, in this case, was a direct reflection of poor company practice or policy. “Members also found that suspension would be an inadequate response and they based this upon the fact that the premises licence holder had been given opportunities in the past to rectify issues and to ensure the premises were operated in a manner which would not undermine the licensing objectives.” The Locomotive has been contacted for comment, but its licensee previously told the Burton Mail that if the licence was revoked, it would appeal and the club would remain open until the appeal was considered by a committee.

It is due to reopen, in line with Government guidelines, on Monday.

Members were also persuaded by the argument put forward by Staffordshire Police

Council report