A STALYBRIDGE bar has had its licence revoked after putting ‘public safety at risk.’
Tameside Council and the police wanted Back to the 80s’ permit to be withdrawn when a woman suffered a bleed on her brain after falling through a gap in the stairs leading to the toilet.
And as this was the latest in a line of incidents involving the Market Street venue, the authority’s Speaker’s Panel (Liquor Licensing) committee took the strongest possible action.
Video footage showed the incident in the early hours of Sunday, June 30, in which the woman was left unconscious.
Owner Ian Whittaker – who even claimed the woman’s ‘husband’ may have nudged her through the gap – laid much of the blame at door staff.
He told a hearing on Monday, January 20 about door staff: “My trust had been misplaced. My error lay in trusting the wrong individuals.
“The group walked straight past the door staff. If it wasn’t for the bar staff doing their jobs properly…
“After the incident, they worked well. The problem was letting them in in the first place. It is an accident at the end of the day. I regret the door staff did what they did that night.
“We’ve done everything we think we could do to make sure everything is put right.”
However, failings which led to the bar being reviewed for the second time in a year led to the licence revocation.
And chair of the panel, Cllr Denise Ward, said: “It is appropriate to revoke the licence.
“The panel realises the potential impact of revocation on the premises. However, the decision is considered proportionate and appropriate due to the repeated breaches, history of the safety concerns and evidence of ongoing non-compliance.
“Revocation is the only proportionate and appropriate action to ensure licence objectives are upheld.”
The hearing was told the venue, whose designated premises supervisor (DPS) was Matthew Betts, continued to trade without any remedial work taking place to rectify the safety of the staircase, it was later amended and deemed to be of a safe standard.
The woman who fell through the side gap in the stairs as she picked up her bag, told how she has ‘vague memories after the incident occurred.’
She remains under a neurologist and told of the incident’s effects, physically and mentally.
She said: “I can remember the girl I was with who looked after me whilst an ambulance was called due to bleeding from the wound and having severe headache.
“I had a scan to clarify I had a bleed on the brain — subarachnoid. I stayed In Tameside hospital for the Sunday evening before being transferred to Salford Royal Hospital, where I remained for the week to be monitored.
“Since the accident, I have not been able to return to work due to having vertigo, being off balance, fatigue and low mood which has had a massive impact financially and mentally on my family. Having to rely on people to care for me and my children.
“I am still under the neurologist due to other Implications i.e. back problems, pins and needles in both my arms. I am currently not allowed to drive for approximately six months and then this will be reviewed.”
At the meeting, PC Craig Foley of Greater Manchester Police said: “I still have concerns over the running of the premises under the licensing objective of public safety.
“Unfortunately, we are still seeing issues with the venue and the mistakes are serious enough to consider a revocation of the licence.”
Jenna Cooper, on behalf of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, told how rear and side escape routes were found shuttered closed, the fire alarm could not be reset, emergency lighting bulkheads were malfunctioning and there had been no fire safety training for staff.
“There was no fire risk assessment on site,” she said. “Manager Kieron Myatt informed me that off any such assessment existed, he was not aware of it.’”
She added GMFRS had not received anything relating to a fire risk assessment by a November 18 deadline and when asked how people may escape a fire of one broke out downstairs, she replied: “They might not. If there’s one exit and it’s impeded by fire, people might not be able to exit.”
Mr Whittaker insisted the shutters are up when the venue is open and said, ‘we’ve got everything in place.’
James Horton, Tameside Council’s regulatory compliance officer, added: “The licensing authority has lost faith in the management of the premises, namely the premises licence holder, Ian Whittaker.
“As this premises licence has previously been reviewed and the conditions amended, subject to appeal, I believe that it would be proportionate given the circumstances to revoke the premises licence.
“There are enough people to get things done, it’s just a lack of management.”
The meeting was told how the general housekeeping was poor and the venue had a food hygiene rating of zero because of the conditions found.
Mr Whittaker – who is in the process of selling Back to the 80s to Dave Tate – insisted the documentation, which was not shown before the meeting, was always in place and that his establishments had not had as much trouble as others in the area.
But chair Cllr Denise Ward, told the trio of Whittaker, Myatt and Tate: “When we put on an event we have to jump through hoops for maybe one day.
“In my mind, you are doing an event ever day really. There must be a tick list and we’re finding trouble. You haven’t got paperwork relating to what’s occurred.
“These rules are very important.”