North Street Social, a city centre bar in Wolverhampton, will keep its licence after a licensing committee accepted the owner's apology and noted extenuating circumstances. The decision, made on August 5, came despite calls from licensing officers to consider revocation following what they described as 'persistent and serious failures' to comply with licence conditions.
Owner's emotional appeal
Johnny Jones, the licence holder, told the hearing that he had been 'firefighting financially on a daily basis' and 'running on fumes' during the inspection period. He warned that revoking or suspending the licence would force the business to close permanently, saying, 'If you really want another boarded-up pub in the centre of Wolverhampton, then revocation or suspension are the natural routes for you to take today.'
Mr Jones apologised 'unreservedly' for the failures, attributing them to 'extraordinary personal circumstances' and storm damage that destroyed CCTV systems and paper records. He insisted that no customers had been harmed and that all issues had been rectified.
Incidents cited in review
The licensing review highlighted several specific incidents, including a customer being punched in the face after calling another customer a 'paedophile'. Officers also noted that security staff were not wearing appropriate clothing or body-worn cameras, and that the venue's CCTV was not operational.
Mr Jones defended his venue, explaining that an incident involving police chasing youths in balaclavas with Tasers occurred when the bar was closed, and his manager actually assisted officers. He also addressed a photograph showing a customer drinking in the street, attributing it to the challenges of managing crowds on busy match days.
Committee's decision
Kerryn Woollett, the council's solicitor, said the sub-committee accepted there were extenuating circumstances leading to the breaches in February and March. She noted that the committee also accepted there had been no major incidents at the premises, no association with drug use, and no evidence of underage sales.
The decision means North Street Social will continue trading, much to the relief of Mr Jones, who described the business as a 'struggling business in a struggling city' that relies heavily on match days to stay afloat.
