A West Bromwich pub forced to close after a violent incident described as "horrific" by authorities has submitted an application to reopen its doors. The Prince of Wales on High Street had its licence revoked by Sandwell Council in December following a serious altercation involving unlicensed security staff.
Violent Disorder Leads to Licence Revocation
The council's licensing committee took the decisive action against the pub after an incident on November 19 last year. West Midlands Police reported that door staff used "excessive force" and physically assaulted customers with an offensive weapon. Officers were called to the scene around 12.30am after receiving reports that three members of the public were bleeding from their heads.
During a hearing last month, police revealed that one of the bouncers involved did not hold a valid Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence. Furthermore, two bar staff were found not to have the right to work in the UK. CCTV footage of the attack, shown privately to the committee, was described as both "horrific" and "horrifying".
Police stated that a 'police-style baton' was passed to a bouncer by bar staff and was used in view of the pub's owner, 69-year-old Rajinder Singh. They also noted that Mr Singh did not call emergency services for "a considerable time after" the violence erupted. It took officers around 40 minutes to ascertain what had happened from Mr Singh and his staff.
New Licence Application Submitted
Now, an application for a new premises licence has been made by Balbinder Singh. The proposed licence seeks permission to open from 9am to 3am daily, with alcohol sales until 2.30am. It also includes provisions for live and recorded music until closing time.
At the previous hearing, Duncan Craig, representing owner Rajinder Singh, admitted the CCTV made for "unpleasant viewing". He argued that Mr Singh, who has run the pub for over 20 years, had been "misled" by casual staff regarding their right to work and the credentials of the unauthorised doorman, who had worked at the venue for "some time". Mr Craig attributed the breakdown in control to Mr Singh's "old fashioned and outdated" methods and his declining health.
Management Failures and Community Support
Two individuals who had been involved in the pub's operation, Anil Grover and Gurdev Rai, admitted to the committee they had not checked staff paperwork or identification themselves. Mr Rai stated he had "wrongly presumed" these vital checks had been carried out.
Despite the serious failings, the pub received support from the West Bromwich Business Improvement District (BID). They described the Prince of Wales as a "responsible pub" that had promoted licensing objectives and was a "big part of the West Bromwich community".
West Midlands Police, who had called for the licence to be revoked, maintained that the violent disorder was a "preventable situation". The force reported crimes including a section 18 wounding with intent, a section 20 assault, and a section 47 assault causing actual bodily harm, alongside an investigation into possession of an offensive weapon. The council's final decision on the new licence application is pending.
