Two sisters who run a pub near Bury say they have been nicknamed the 'Kray twins' as they try to tackle problem customers after being given a second chance by council bosses at a licensing review.
Licensee Marie Burke and sister Jayne Walton run the Roebuck pub in Waterfoot, Rossendale, which has been plagued with a series of complaints relating to fights and breaches of pandemic rules. Police say they have been called out to the pub on 35 occasions in the last two years, with the venue also having the second-highest recorded number of incidents in the area in the past year.
The sisters faced a premises licence review by Rossendale Council’s Licensing Committee on Tuesday (April 26) where they were told alcohol sales and music activities must now stop earlier and new conditions must be followed to stop noise, disturbances and disorder.
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The two sisters told a Rossendale Borough Council licensing review, reports Lancs Live, that they have learned some hard lessons since taking over the pub in early 2020 and had gradually become respected by customers. Their management style had changed from being 'two smiling blondes' to being nicknamed 'the Kray twins' with a tougher approach, they said.
The Roebuck, on Burnley Road East, can now sell alcohol up to midnight rather than 2am, as was previously allowed under its old premises licence. Other pub activities, such as live music, karaoke or dancing, must now stop at 11pm rather than midnight previously.
Other conditions include earlier closing hours at Christmas, New Year's Eve and bank holidays, reduced evening hours for the beer garden, and requirements for new CCTV, outside lighting and the logging of any incidents. Full details of new conditions are to be finalised by Rossendale Council.
Licensee Marie Burke and her sister, Jayne Walton, who is a director with the pub business, attended the licensing hearing at Rossendale Borough Council following a string of complaints about noise, fights, anti-social behaviour, allegations of customers using drugs and covid breaches at the Roebuck between 2020 and 2021.
A number of complaints stemmed from the pandemic period when punters were required to be outside in the rear beer garden or socially-distanced inside. But reports previously suggested there had been some occasions during the time period when the inside of the pub had been ‘absolutely heaving on arrival’ with ‘no social distancing’.
Rossendale environmental health officers led the Roebuck licensing review, mainly over noise complaints from neighbours. Ms Burke had previously said she felt the complaints had been blown out of proportion and unfairly compared to the Wild West.
Videos filmed by residents near the pub included two separate incidents of customers, a man and a woman, urinating on the street outside the pub. Other sequences showed Jayne Walton throwing a beer keg at a man on the street who had threatened her and a fight between people on the street. Other footage showed a drunken man stumbling on the street and kicking beer kegs onto the road, and another sequence showed a child on the street.
Lancashire Police also took part in the licensing review and had submitted a log of report incidents at the Roebuck since since early 2020 when Ms Burke became licensee, just before the pandemic lock-downs. These included reports of fights and alleged breaches of restrictions on indoor gatherings and social distancing. However, no criminal cases or complaints by any victims had arisen from any incident and police said things had improved this year.
Environmental health officer Lorna Robinson outlined the noise and public nuisance complaints, showed the videos and said some Waterfoot residents had suggested they were reluctant to speak-out in case of 'intimidation'. She said: "Environmental health called for this review, owing to ongoing and prolonged disturbance to neighbours. We are acting on behalf of neighbours to protect their well-being. There is quite a long history of complaints."
PC Michael Jones, a licensing officer with Lancashire Constabulary, outlined a series of logged incidents linked to the Roebuck over 2020 and 2021. He said: "Our records show 29 logged incidents linked to the Roebuck. Fourteen of those relate to covid restrictions and nine are for disorder and nuisance. The premises has recorded the second-highest number of incidents in a 12-month period. However, on a positive note, we have only had one incident logged recently and things have improved."
He added: "There have been recent headlines about the O.K Corral but unfortunately that's just the way of social media. The main issues are really about noise and disturbance rather than crime and disorder. But there are some significant issues for all involved, such as how some of these people have got into that condition at this pub?"
PC Jones also spoke about various police visits and alleged covid breaches at the pub. One police log had a comment by a Sergeant Hennigan, referring to customers in the pub as Rossendale's 'finest locals'.
Coun Samara Barnes objected to the comment. She said: "I find that really inappropriate. These people are family members and friends. I think it's really inappropriate language. I would be hauled over the coals if I said something like that in my job . You can't make comments like that. I want this put on the record."
PC Jones replied: "That's Sgt Hennigan's comment. He is not available to come to the review today. I can only report what he said." Licensing officer Susan Chadwick said she understood Coun Barnes' point about the tone of the police comment on Rossendale's 'finest' but the licensing review had to focus on licensing objectives, such as preventing noise and nuisance, rather than opinions about the 'quality' of pub customers.
On Covid breach allegations, PC Jones said the lockdown period had been difficult for many people and pub businesses. However, police had expressed their frustrations at Marie Burke's apparent lack of understanding on the rules and alleged breaches around a private new year social gathering with family members and on social distancing issues when the pub was formally open for business.
Marie Burke said: "We apologise to neighbours and accept we have made mistakes in the past. But we will do whatever is needed to make things right. We want to get on with neighbours and avoid tit-for-tat arguments. We took-on the pub just before the pandemic started and were a bit overwhelmed when the restrictions were first lifted.
"We were flooded with customers from across the Valley because we have quite a large beer garden. But things have eased-off and we have learned more about running a pub. We have also sorted-out the clientele and are building a good, local family pub."
Jayne Walton said: "This is our livelihoods. We want to get it right. We have both given up our previous jobs to run a pub. We want to make it work. We grew up in Rossendale and are part of the community. We have lived here all our lives."
Rossendale borough councillors Christine Gill, Samara Barnes and Alan Woods listened to the case. The hearing lasted a full day, three hours longer than expected, owing to complicated historic licensing conditions linked to the pub building going back many years. Coun Woods had asked what the sisters were doing to learn more about running a pub and improve their licensing knowledge.
Coun Gill earlier warned Ms Burke and Ms Walton that the licence for the pub premises could be revoked and they faced a serious situation.
