Adjourning hearing means pub can trade
LAST-MINUTE REPRIEVE GIVES VENUE AN EXTRA FOUR MONTHS
A TROUBLE-HIT bar and nightclub in Burton town centre has been given a last-minute reprieve to stay open amid police calls to shut it permanently.
The Locomotive sports bar, in Station Street, has been the scene of a long list of incidents, including mass brawls and assaults, and the club has been battling to keep its premises licence, in the face of strong objections from Staffordshire Police.
The incidents have included a mass brawl at 2am in February, 2020, when a man was made to leave the pub after refusing to pay for a drink. Police said he was pushed to the floor by door staff and hit his head. He then returned with three friends carrying knives and a baseball bat, they said.
Police said there were subsequent reports of knives and baseball bats being used, backed by CCTV of 20 people fighting. There was another incident when the police said they received a report from CCTV operators requesting assistance from the club’s staff. The report said: “Outside the venue were approximately 60 people, with several different fights outside the premises. This highlights a lack of dispersal from the premises at the conclusion of trade.”
It has been trading on a revoked premises licence for more than a year after council bosses agreed with Staffordshire Police that problems at the premises were “attributable to the high levels of intoxication of customers within the premises and on leaving the premises”. Licensing bosses from East Staffordshire Borough Council also previously said problems were attributable to “poor management”. They revoked the club’s licence, but it was allowed to stay open pending an appeal.
The appeal hearing was due to be held at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on Monday, June 13. However, it has now been revealed it has been adjourned until October 10 – granting the venue at least another four months of trading before a decision is made. It is believed the delay is due to a backlog of court hearings caused by the pandemic.
Staffordshire police have also objected against Parmjit Kaur, licensee of The Locomotive, becoming its designated premises supervisor. This hearing is set to held today when East Staffordshire Borough Council’s licensing committee will decide the outcome.
During a previous licensing meeting, she said even outside the club there were limits on the degree to which security staff could intervene.
That was due, she said, to the security company’s insurance policy and the duty of care she owed security staff.
The Locomotive sports bar has been the scene of a long list of incidents, including mass brawls and assaults.