Family pub allowed to stay open despite double stabbing brawl

A cherished family-run pub will remain open after it was ordered to shut down temporarily following a double stabbing.

The Anglers Arms in Wrigley Head, Failsworth, can reopen with added security, a licensing panel decided. 

The pub’s license was called in for review because of a violent incident that took place on Sunday, April 6.

A large group of men who exited the pub started fighting in the street and brandishing blades, onlookers reported to police. 

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) attended the scene at 11.51pm, where a ‘male had been stabbed to the side of his abdomen’.

They later confirmed that three men, aged between 23 and 28 years of age, had been taken to A&E with stab wounds and a head injury. 

The Anglers Arm’s future was left in jeopardy after it was called in for a licensing review, which could have permanently withdrawn the premises license, or imposed strict conditions on the public house.

But councillors and officers ultimately decided it was a ‘regrettable one-time event’ and the pub was ‘not known as a high-risk house’. 

The pub can continue to open until midnight over the weekend, on the condition that two trained security officers attend the doors every Saturday. 

Former premises supervisor Annette Nokes apologised to the panel for leaving the pub early on the day of the incident to see her daughter-in-law Sian, who had been sent hospital with complications in her pregnancy. 

“It was an error of judgement,” Annette said.

“There was a lot going on with my daughter in law and my grandchild. I’m really sorry.” 

Annette was forced to give up her role as supervisor.

Sian Nokes, who attended the hearing with her new-born, is due to become the new premises supervisor alongside husband Jamie Nokes.

Annette also admitted that a number of outdoor DJ events held last year may have made the pub more popular online among a ‘younger, rowdier crowd from out-of-town’, which could have played a role in attracting the men to the area on the night.

The individuals involved in the incident were from New Moston and Newton Heath, and not the local area, PC Jules Addison confirmed at the hearing. 

Tony Lions, a solicitor representing the pub’s owners, concluded: “What should have been one of the most memorable events one can experience – the birth of a grandchild – became memorable for the wrong reasons because of the mindless action of an individual who chose to come into the area with a blade and cause the issues which have led to these review proceedings.

"It should be that person who is facing a review, not Annette and David.” 

The family and representation appealed to the panel not to impose strict conditions, which would make it ‘impossible’ to run the pub in an already challenging time for hospitality businesses. 

While the Nokes family were relieved at the panel’s decision, not everyone was as pleased.

Neighbour Graham McCoughlin gave testimony against the pub during the hearing, claiming his wife was left ‘living in fear’ on weekends due to the rowdy nature of the crowd it attracts. 

McCoughlin said: “My wife has been living in fear.

"I often work nights – so my wife is on her own.

"There’s people coming out of the pub and sitting on the wall and shouting and arguing.

"She’s scared something will kick off.” 

And environmental officer Paul Bailey noted that since the pub was taken over by the Nokes family four years ago, the number of noise complaints ‘has exploded’.

But he acknowledged the council ‘have never taken formal action’ as complainants who were asked to keep noise diaries refused to do so. 

The Nokes family shared that they had received a huge outpouring of support from the local neighbourhood.

They received more than 160 letters sharing ‘shock and dismay’ at their potential closure. 

One stated: “When Annette took over in 2021, she breathed life into a dying establishment and made it a wonderful place to go … I was appalled to see the Anglers Arms had been blamed for the incident.” 

Many others stated they were ‘heartbroken’ by the potential closure and believed the pub managers were being ‘unfairly penalised’. 

“The Anglers Arms is not just a pub,” wrote another local, who said he visits the pub regularly with his children.

“It is a safe, welcoming, and much-loved place that has become a cornerstone of our lives. … If the license was revoked, it would deal a painful blow to the people who rely on the Anglers as a space to connect, unwind and feel a part of something.” 

The pub is allowed to continue holding events, which are generally targeted at families, including ‘Homegrown’, an afternoon of reggae, and ‘North Fest’, a family festival which takes place in August.

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