A pub which was banned from serving customers after a huge brawl 'involving a machete and a gun' has had its licence revoked.
The Queens Hotel, on Sedgeford Road in Harpurhey had their licence temporarily suspended after the incident on March 12 - which was thought to be connected to organised crime groups, according to GMP.
GMP confirmed two men - aged 57 and 37 - were later arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate. A 37-year-old man also 'attended' hospital with injuries that aren't believed to be life-threatening, the force added.
A summary review from the Licensing Sub Committee in Manchester Town Hall was told that the Queens Hotel would have its licence revoked, so the suspension will remain in force.
READ MORE: Dad stabbed man up to 20 times in 23 seconds with machete in 'revenge attack' outside PureGym
The Vine on Glendower Drive in Collyhurst also had its licence temporarily suspended following the spate of violence. But the pub has been able to carry on trading after sacking their manager.
Despite both pubs being connected to the incident, according to GMP, the Vine was allowed to begin serving again after it took steps to improve safety at the venue.
Christopher Grunert, a lawyer speaking on behalf of licensee Andrew Mitchell, explained to the committee that they had now securely locked away their CCTV system which had been stolen during the incident, reasons to which remained unclear to GMP. Manchester Town Hall also heard that the designated premises supervisor (DPS) in charge on the day of the incident had been sacked by Mr Mitchell.
The reasoning given for this was that the DPS hadn’t seen what happened to the system or he was not cooperating with police investigations, both of which were deemed “unacceptable” by the pub owner. It is believed the CCTV system was “forcibly removed” when a fight broke out in the car park outside the Vine which involved pool cues.
A machete and firearm were both described in the incident as the situation escalated, police statements confirmed.
“During this incident the CCTV system from inside the premises was forcibly removed, which was not reported to GMP,” a police report said. “Given the connection of the Vine to the incident and the severity of what took place and the serious levels of violence GMP has serious concerns that there is a risk of further recriminating actions which places members of the community at an immediate risk of harm.”
A second police report stated that “it is believed that the persons involved in this serious incident are connected to the Queens Hotel”.
To ensure the Vine’s commitment to the safety of their establishment, Mr Grunert, of John Gaunt and Partners Licensing Solicitors, proposed two new conditions to their alcohol and entertainment licence: CCTV shall be stored in a secure manner and that CCTV footage will be sent to a facility off site so footage can be stored elsewhere. This proposal was accepted by the committee who then agreed with GMP’s Divisional Licensing Officer Alan Isherwood that the licence suspension should be lifted.
Press and public had been excluded from the separate review into the Queens Hotel for legal reasons. Upon learning of his pub’s fate, Queens Hotel custodian Stephen Dale simply stated he would be appealing to the courts regarding the decision to stop them serving.
Coun Pat Karney, who represents Harpurhey, said: “I wasn’t involved in the legal process but if you bring guns and violence to Collyhurst you will face serious consequences. The Vine is in last saloon territory and I hope the new management make it a success."
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