Wolverhampton venue plagued by violence stripped of licence after ‘various and serious issues’ including alleged kidnapping

Wolverhampton Council has revoked the licence of the Triangle Bar and Grill in Bank Street, Bradley, over “various and serious issues” after a hearing on Thursday (June 5).

A review of the Bank Street bar and grill’s licence was arranged after the council was drawn to two incidents in December last year following a tip-off – one of which police later confirmed was an alleged kidnapping, and another which saw fighting outside the venue resulting in its glass entrance being smashed.

A subsequent inspection by the council found that the venue had also failed basic safety measures and had been found to be employing an illegal worker in 2023.

Following the hearing on June 5, the council’s licensing committee said it would be revoking the venue's licence.

Wolverhampton Council’s solicitor Ronald Sempebwa said: “The committee felt that [designated supervisor Abinash Singh Multani] has not actually demonstrated that he is capable of running this premises properly, and in accordance with the licensing objectives, despite his eight years.

“There were various and serious issues raised from security to safety to legal employment and it is noted that it took a significantly long time for some of these to be addressed.”

Committee chair Zee Russell said it had only been ‘for the grace of God’ that somebody had not been hurt.

Patrick Burke, representing Mr Multani, said the venue had ‘done all it had been asked to do’ after the concerns were raised but committee member Councillor Jane Francis said the issues should never have arisen in the first place.

The council’s licensing department had recommended a one-month suspension with the bar’s closing time brought forward to 11pm instead of 3am.

West Midlands Police had recommended cutting the opening hours to 1am but the licence was nevertheless revoked by councillors.

Also at the hearing, Neil Aston-Baugh from the West Midlands Fire Service said he was “disappointed” by the venue’s poor safety measures and the issues should have been addressed many years ago.

West Midlands Police said it was still investigating the kidnapping outside the venue on December 14 last year.

Sergeant Steph Reynolds told the hearing however that the force had no evidence to connect the two incidents to the bar and grill as they were “isolated matters” and the disorder could not be attributed to the venue.

Nevertheless, Sgt Reynolds said it was the opinion of West Midlands Police that Mr Multani should be removed as the designated premises supervisor as he was “unsuitable” and the disregard for fire and public safety measures was “unacceptable behaviour".

The force said six bystanders were questioned over the alleged kidnapping but unwilling to provide details to officers and none had called 999 despite the “violent” incident.

CCTV could not be provided by the venue to police for an ‘unknown reason’, a senior detective had said.

An incident a week later saw three people kicked out in the early hours only for one to return and smash the venue’s glass entrance.

Complaints to the council had said the vandalism had been preceded by ‘fighting in the street’.

A report published ahead of the hearing showed a catalogue of complaints against the venue dating back to 2020 with several neighbours saying they were at their wits’ end from years of enduring drinking and fighting in the streets, broken glass, shouting, arguing and loud music until the early hours and cars blocking pavements and driveways.

The complaints said the problems were “no longer isolated incidents and were “becoming the norm".

A fire safety inspection also found there was no risk assessment in place for the venue, fire alarms and emergency lighting needed servicing and alarm triggers and fire safety instructions needed to be put in place.

Mr Multani was also fined £10,000 last year after the Home Office found he was employing an illegal worker, whose two-year student visa expired in 2012, in his kitchen.

During an inspection at the beginning of the year, council staff found the venue had breached the fire safety conditions of its licence and the owner was unable to provide CCTV for the previous 30 days as is compulsory.

The layout of the venue had also been altered without permission.

Council staff returned later that month only to find the issues had not been resolved.

The council said it was also concerned the designated supervisor Mr Multani, who is supposed to be responsible for the day-to-day management of the bar and grill, was “rarely at the venue".