De Fusion Bar and Restaurant, located on Exchange Street in Wolverhampton city centre, has applied to extend its opening hours until 5:30am daily. The application requests permission to serve live and recorded music until 5:30am and to sell alcohol until 5:15am each day.
The venue’s licence was suspended for two weeks last April after it was found guilty of several breaches, including serving alcohol beyond licensed hours. Currently, De Fusion is permitted to operate until 3am with alcohol sales ending at 2:30am.
The City of Wolverhampton Council suspended the licence following an inspection prior to a Wolverhampton Wanderers home game last January. Investigators discovered multiple violations, such as serving pints in glass rather than plastic, the absence of door staff during busy periods, incomplete staff training, missing incident logs, inadequate maintenance and fire safety records, lack of drug safety notices, and failure to provide CCTV footage within 24 hours.
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Owner Ikenna Orajaka addressed the licensing committee, admitting his inexperience and mistakes but emphasizing his commitment to responsibility. He explained the financial challenges, including difficulties in attracting customers and affording security staff. Mr Orajaka highlighted that Saturday afternoons were typically quiet, sometimes only serving a single family.
The licensing committee acknowledged the serious nature of the breaches but was impressed by the owner’s efforts to resolve issues. Councillor Zee Russell, chair of the licensing committee, described the case as one of the most severe she had encountered but noted the improvements made since the inspection.
Despite this, the two-week suspension stood firm, with West Midlands Police supporting the action and raising concerns over a “clear disregard” for licensing conditions. Police investigations into two separate incidents at De Fusion remain ongoing and contributed to the committee’s cautious approach.
The application to extend hours reflects the venue’s wish to rebuild and continue serving the local community while complying with licensing regulations.