A Birmingham pub on College Road, Kingstanding, has been forced to close after a violent altercation involving at least five men wielding makeshift weapons erupted when the venue should have been closed.
The Number 1 Public House had its premises licence suspended following the disturbances in the early hours of Saturday, December 13. The incident occurred around 2:15 a.m., despite the pub’s licence permitting alcohol sales only until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Sergeant Karl Thomas of West Midlands Police stated, “An incident of violent disorder took place involving multiple individuals using items as weapons, constituting a serious offence with potential sentencing up to five years imprisonment.” He emphasized the gravity of the situation given the breach of licensing hours and the violent nature of the altercation.
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Alarmingly, staff at the venue failed to contact emergency services immediately; police were only notified an hour later after a weapon was discovered on site. Following the incident, West Midlands Police requested an urgent review, leading to the suspension of the premises licence held by Rapid Dream Limited and the removal of Marc Greene as the designated premises supervisor.
Birmingham City Council’s licensing sub-committee C reviewed the case on Friday, December 19. Chaired by Councillor Carmel Corrigan, the committee heard evidence from both the police and venue representatives, with much of the hearing conducted in private due to ongoing investigations.
Ultimately, the committee decided to suspend the premises licence for 28 days pending a full review and confirmed Mr. Greene’s removal. Councillor Corrigan stated, “The licence is suspended and the designated premises supervisor removed pending a licence review to be held within 28 days of the chief officer of police’s application.”
West Midlands Police are continuing their investigation but have not disclosed whether any arrests have been made. They urge anyone with information to contact them directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers, providing the reference number 20/474218/25.