Pub reopening with police backing after machete attack
A pub which was the scene of a vicious machete attack on a man as he held a two-year-old child in his arms during a Christening party is to reopen after police recommended its licence be reinstated.
Councillors lifted the suspension on The Flower Pot, in Spon Lane, West Bromwich, this week after hearing investigations into the gang violence had been hindered by witnesses refusing to come forward.
Pc Nick Stevenson, recommending reinstatement, told the borough’s licensing committee that the pub had only one report of an alleged assault.
Describing the machete attack, he said: “The more serious incident happened on the car park of the premisses during a private Christening party on October 6.
“During this incident the victim was targeted and subject to quite a horrific attack causing significant injury to one of his hands and of more concern, was at the time holding a two-year-old child who thankfully only suffered minor cuts and bruises.”
He said police investigations revealed that the offenders had not been customers of the pub and had arrived by car as the 24-year-old man stood outside the premisses.
He added: “Witnesses are reluctant to come forward and the victim does not want to engage with the police at all and that is synonymous with gang-related incidents.
“We get that quite a lot when it is gang-on-gang and people just don’t want to tell the police anything.”
He said the pub was properly managed and he had no concerns over its normal licensing activities but its present CCTV cameras had too many ‘blind spots’.
After speaking with the pub’s designated premises supervisor, Mr Denver Allen, he agreed changes to its licence conditions to help avoid further incidents.
Councillor Peter Allen, chair of the committee, lifting the suspension with immediate effect, noted the willingness of the pub’s owner and manager to work with police.
Councillors though agreed to a police request for additional conditions, including requiring notifying licensing officers ten working days prior to holding private parties to allow for discussions on whether it should employ door staff.
In addition, it should also supply the name and address of the person booking the event along with names of any DJs who would perform and the approximate number of people who would be attending.
The committee also ordered the number of CCTV cameras be increased from four to eight and a trained member of staff with responsibility for the system being present during licenced hours.
