Police object to re-opening of West Bromwich pub following 'baton attack'

Sandwell Council shut down the Prince of Wales in West Bromwich High Street after a ‘horrifying’ baton attack involving unlicensed door staff and patrons in November last year.

In December, the local authority’s licensing committee stripped 69-year-old owner Rajinder Singh, who has run the pub for more than two decades, of his licence over the “horrific” incident saying “serious crime and disorder” had taken place.

An application for a new licence to re-open the West Bromwich pub was then made by Balbinder Singh which led to objections from West Midlands Police as well as West Midlands Fire Service.

West Midlands Police said it was concerned by the ‘quick turnaround’ following the revoking of the licence and the intention to run the business in a similar way as before.

“Footage of the incident and the body cam of officers attending the incident that triggered the summary review, showed patrons of the venue watching the incident and at no point did any patron attempt to ring the police or ambulance Service or speak to officers at the scene to give the full details of what had happened.

“During the officers’ attendance on site, customers carry on as normal and are clearly unfazed that a weapon has been used on customers both inside and outside of the premises.

“As such it causes West Midlands Police serious concerns that the premises is likely to operate in a very similar way to previously, with the same business model and attracting the same crowd who appeared unfazed by the disorder that took place there previously and who were unwilling to do the right thing in the situation.

“Evidence given at the full review hearing also established that the premises had previous incidents of concern suggesting a pattern of fights and crimes linked to the operation of the premises.”

West Midlands Fire Service also objected to the new licence saying there were several issues with the pub including defective emergency lighting and no evidence its fire detection system or alarms had been tested or maintained.

There was also no fire risk assessment in place for the pub, the fire service said.

The new application includes permission to open from 9am to 3am every day with alcohol sold until 2.30am.

The licence would also include permission to play live and recorded music until the same time.

At the licensing hearing in December last year, West Midlands Police said one of the pub’s bouncers involved in the violent disorder did not hold a valid SIA licence and two of its bar staff did not have the right to work in the UK.

Door staff had used “excessive force” and “physically assaulted” customers using an offensive weapon on November 19 according to police.

The force said a ‘police-style baton’ was passed to bouncer by bar staff and that it was used in view of Mr Singh who did not call 999 “for a considerable time after.”

Officers called to West Bromwich High Street over ‘three members of the public bleeding from the head’ said they ran into difficulties with the venue and it took ‘around 40 minutes’ to find out what had happened from Mr Singh and his staff.

CCTV footage of the alleged attack was shown in private but was described as “horrific” and “horrifying” during the hearing.

West Midlands Police, which called for the pub’s licence to be revoked, said the violent disorder was a “preventable situation.”

Duncan Craig, representing Mr Singh, admitted the CCTV footage of the attack made for “unpleasant viewing” but said the pub owner had been “misled” by ‘casual’ staff over their right to work as well as the unauthorised door man who had worked at the pub for ‘some time’ and who he believed held a licence.

Mr Craig blamed Mr Singh’s “old fashioned and outdated” methods for allowing the violence to break and his declining health on the lack of intervention.

Anil Grover, who had been working at the pub for a few months and Gurdev Rai, who had previously run the pub while Mr Singh was ill, had been primed to take over if the Prince of Wales remained open.

Both admitted to the hearing they had not checked staff paperwork or identification themselves – with Mr Rai saying he “wrongly presumed” the checks had been carried out.

West Bromwich BID supported Mr Singh saying the Prince of Wales was a “responsible pub” that has continued to promote the licensing objectives – adding that the boozer was a “big part of the West Bromwich community.”

West Midlands Police said it had received a call from a member of the public because “three people were bleeding from the head” after an incident at the Prince of Wales at around 12.30am on November 16.

The force said the incident started inside the High Street pub and spilled out onto the street.

Officers reported a section 18 wounding with intent, section 20 assault and section 47 assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and were investigating the possession of an offensive weapon.