Pub wins fight over booze crackdown

THE Old Mess House pub, in Yorkshire Street, has won its battle to stop conditions being placed on its current licence.

Trading Standards is currently reviewing the licence of 22 venues in Oldham town centre to introduce conditions in a bid to crackdown on irresponsible drink promotions which leads to anti-social behaviour.

These include operating a post-office style queuing system to slow down drinking, limiting the number of drinks bought at the bar to two at a time, and employing additional door staff.

At yesterday’s Licensing Panel meeting, Paul O’Brien, representing Weights and Measures Authority, said that the surge in drunkenness and anti-social behaviour co-incided with the proliferation of drinks promotions.

He told the panel that out of 22 applications for review, 21 venues had entered into discussion and negotiations, and agreements had been reached in all apart from the Old Mess House.

Greater Manchester Police produced CCTV footage of two disturbances outside the pub in April as evidence, as well as stills of drinks promotions advertised outside the pub.

Det Sgt John Murdoch, from GMP, said police incident logs showed callers had identified the pub when reporting anti-social behaviour.

But when questioned, DS Murdoch said callers could have used the pub as a landmark, not as the venue in which incidents had occurred.

David Dadds, licensing lawyer, said the CCTV footage did not show any evidence that drinkers from the pub had caused the disturbances featured.

He said a neighbouring takeaway and taxi rank meant people congregated outside the pub, and pub owner Patrick Kelly did not legally have to police the outside of his premises.

Mr Dadds argued that the pub’s drinks promotion of one bottle for Becks for £2 and two for £4 was not irresponsible.

He also said only generic information, not specific to the Old Mess House, had been presented by Mr O’Brien so the application should not be allowed.

Councillor Val Sedgwick, licensing panel chairman, said there was no evidence of irresponsible drinks promotions at the pub so the panel did not agree to modify the conditions of the licence.

She said: “The panel has every sympathy with the problems faced by the police in dealing with the consequences of drunkenness and anti-social behaviour as shown on the CCTV footage.

“But we have heard insufficient evidence to justify the imposition of the licence conditions requested by the Trading Standards Authority.”

Mr Kelly said: “We are very happy with the decision, justice has been done.

“We appreciate the decision by the committee.”