Bar loses licence after punch-up, drug taking and smoking indoors AFTER trading hours

Malones Bar, in Bilston, has had its licence suspended by Wolverhampton council after an application by police.

The disorder at the bar in Lichfield Street came to the attention of police after a man was attacked inside after trading hours. He was then set upon by the offender and several others outside, before they returned inside.

Officers then viewed CCTV footage which showed the offender return to the bar and take drugs with other people.

Footage also showed ashtrays on every table, with around 50 people smoking inside at the time of the attack.

At a council licensing hearing, councillors heard about the trouble from police, who made an application for the suspension.

They were told that the drug taking would have been clearly visible to premises holder Tony Mandani and his brother Moe, who were behind the bar.

PC Mitch Harvey also revealed finding two drink lists, one which doubled in price after 12am, when the bar's licence to serve ended.

PC Harvey said: "It is abhorrent behaviour to leave someone lying in the street badly injured and then allow the culprits back in to partake in drug dealing and after hours trading, which breaks a the law and goes against the Licensing Act 2003, to name just a few things.

"The CCTV footage clearly shows a number of people chopping up what I can only assume is a class A drug and sharing it between them, all of which went unchallenged under the watchful eye of Tony and his brother.

"Neither police nor ambulance were called to assist the injured victim, which is unacceptable."

Designated Premises Supervisor Garfield McDonald, who was not present at the time of the incident, on November 7, resigned his position days after being questioned by police in early December.

There is currently no DPS for Malone's Bar and Mr Mandini had hired his brother, Moe, to 'help' run it with him. This week police served Moe Mandini with illegal working papers and he is now facing deportation out of the country.

Tony Mandini said he was shocked by the decision and stressed that on the night concerned, he had been asked to keep the bar open for a private party, but had failed to apply for a temporary event notice.

He said: "Ashtrays were on all the tables because we wanted to keep our customers inside the bar. I admit we should not have been open at that hour but I was asked to stay open as a favour for a friend, who wanted to hold a private party. I don't condone any drug taking of any nature and for this to happen in the bar was a one off.

"My brother was helping me run the place, he was not receiving any payment for working there.

"I know the police are doing their jobs but I'm shocked by this decision. Fights happened all the time in pubs but this was an isolated incident at Malones."

Sergeant Jake Flanagan, chief of Wolverhampton Police Licensing Team added: "Police cannot support this venue when there is blatant disregard and deliberate non-compliance towards the licensing objectives. These incidents have opened up what is a shadowy culture at Malone's Bar and an opaque management system."

A full hearing will now take place within 28 days from this decision. At last week's hearing, police appealed for information into the whereabouts of Gavin Batth, who is wanted in connection with the attack inside the pub.