Kauri Arms Tavern not guilty of street violence

Kauri Arms Tavern proprietor Mark Frost took strong exception to police claims that drunk and aggressive patrons were responsible for a protracted outbreak of violence outside the tavern in the early hours of Saturday morning (A weekly ritual, February 27).

“It never happened,” Mr Frost said, although there had been problems with one individual who had been drinking home-distilled spirits in the street, and had not been allowed to enter the tavern.

That person had tried to pick fights with patrons as they left, but his customers had been well-behaved and had not caused any problems for anyone.

There had been “another disturbance”

"We are working hard to set a good example here, and we’re getting good results." Mark Frost

in the street 45 minutes after the tavern closed.

“We are working hard to set a good example here, and we’re getting good results,” Mr Frost said. He believed the tavern’s environs could be policed more regularly and effectively, although he understood the resourcing issues that might make that difficult.