Morecambe bar may lose licence after New Year fight

The police have applied for a review of the premises licence of the Crown Hotel on Marine Road Central.

This comes after officers were called to the pub at 11.50pm on December 31.

A police spokesman said they were called to reports of an assault after a fight between two people, one suffering a head injury.

A 30-year-old man was arrested and bailed until March 30 on suspicion of obstructing a police officer.

PC Andrew Taylor of Morecambe police said: “We are applying for a revocation of the premises licence.”

Lancaster City Council licensing committee is due to meet for talks on the matter on March 1 at Lancaster Town Hall.

The council is responsible for issuing licences to pubs.

The police have given Lancaster City Council witness statements taken following the incident, together with CCTV images from the Crown Hotel and body-camera images from police officers who were called out to the pub on the night, and a transcript of an interview with the manager 
Liam Broster who was on duty when the incident happened.

A council report prepared ahead of the meeting said: “Following an incident that occurred at the premises on New Year’s Eve and subsequently spilled outside onto the street...police contend that three of the licensing objectives have been compromised bringing in to question the manner in which the premises is being run by the licence holder and designated premises supervisor.”

These licensing objectives are the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the prevention of public nuisance.

The licensing committee has the power to change the conditions of the licence, exclude a licensable activity from the scope of the licence, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for a period not exceeding three months and/or revoke the licence.

The Crown reopened as a bar and bistro in October 2016 after a major refurbishment. It was previously run solely as a hotel.

We contacted Sean O’Hagan, owner of the Crown, but had not received a comment as we went to press.