Troubled pub in fight for future

IT HAS APPEALED COUNCIL DECISION TO REVOKE LICENCE

MANAGEMENT of a troubled Burton town centre bar will fight to keep their alcohol licence in court after police were called to dozens of fights at the venue.

The Locomotive, in Station Street, was subjected to scrutiny by Staffordshire Police earlier this year when officers said there had been 27 reported incidents of fighting and antisocial behaviour in and outside the pub between lockdowns.

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

It led to police taking the step of applying to East Staffordshire Borough Council’s licensing subcommittee in bid to get it to revoke the Locomotive’s licence for the second time in less than two years.

Following a lengthy hearing, the council’s sub-committee agreed with police and chose to revoke the pub’s licence.

However, the bar appealed against the decision and, under licensing terms, can continue to trade and sell alcohol during that appeal process.

Its bosses have now appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centre for a hearing date to consider its application in court to be set. This is will now take place over two days at Cannock Magistrates’ Court, starting on June 13.

Officers previously told licensing chiefs another fight moved into the road outside the venue, with the victim being punched and kicked. The incidents took place between September 17, 2019 and October 31, 2020.

Staffordshire Police had told the council’s licensing hearing that steps had been taken to iron out problems at the Locomotive, but that there were no further conditions which could be added to the licence to address its issues.

The sub-committee 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 the matter by Staffordshire Police and a high degree of scrutiny had been directed towards the premises.

He believed it 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 it was in the middle of Burton, which he described as a challenging town to manage.

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.