Pub at risk of losing licence after “brawl”
By Kiro Evans, Local Democracy Reporter
A pub is at risk of losing its booze licence after an alleged “pub brawl fuelled by drugs and alcohol”.
The Anglesea Arms’ licence has been suspended after the incident, but the Met Police are calling for it to be permanently revoked.
Police told the Greenwich council licensing committee yesterday about an alleged domestic abuse incident at the pub, in Woolwich New Road, that escalated into a “brawl”.
One man was left with a “deep cut” to his head, while one man punched someone “mere feet away from a police officer” in a separate incident, Met Police claimed.
Police also criticised CCTV not working on the night of the incident.
But a spokesman for the pub told the committee that incidents from that night had been “exaggerated,” and argued it would be “disproportionate” to revoke the pub’s licence.
The legal representative for the police, Michael Feeney, said: “This is a serious matter that arises out of a pub brawl that was fuelled by drugs and alcohol on April 24, where a man was hit over the head with a glass and left with a deep cut to his head, and another man sustained a cut to his eye.
“Police investigation of the matter has been hampered by the fact that CCTV, which was a condition of the licence, was not working at the time. The management of the company had known CCTV was not working since late March.
Representing the pub, barrister David Dadds contested where the alleged violent incidents took place, and Mr Feeney’s representation of the pub.
He said: “The licensee has been here locally in the area for almost 30 years.
“They fundraise, the premises itself is normally a community-based premises, they have regular pool teams, the customers are generally the same, it’s a proper pub, they describe it as, but they have had little or no interaction with the police arising in the premises.”
Mr Dadds also rejected the description of the fight as a “brawl”.
Pictured top: The future of the Anglesea Arms pub hangs in the balance as police attempt to convince the council to revoke its licence (Picture: Kiro Evans)
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