Wednesday, 1 August 2007

Pub yobs caught on film


One of the revellers holds a bench aloft

Pub yobs caught on film
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1012/1012436_pub_yobs_caught_on_film.html


LOCALS have secretly filmed the antics of drunks at a village pub in a bid to get it closed.

In 20 minutes of footage one customer is seen almost setting himself on fire after lighting a toilet roll to use as a flaming football in the beer garden.

Others at the Bridgewater Hotel in upmarket Worsley are also seen chanting loudly, screaming, shouting, attempting to break a flagstone from a wall, and trying to uproot a footpath sign. One man lifts a table above his head before leaving it on its end, and another is caught urinating.Young women are seen walking out of the pub into the road with glasses of drink.Now the film has been handed over to police and town hall officers.

It will be shown to Salford council's licensing panel in September.The Worsley Community Village Association will present it as evidence in their bid to get the pub's licence revoked.It is the second time locals have covertly filmed the behaviour of customers in and around the beer garden, which is at the front of the pub and overlooks Barton Road.Last year a regular was filmed as he attacked the beer garden with a pickaxe.

After the film was shown to the licensing panel in June last year the pub was refused an application to extend its drinking hours to 1am. But the panel did agree last year to drinking hours being extended by 30 minutes on Friday and Saturday to 11.30pm and from to 11pm on Sunday.

Community

This was on condition a noise-monitoring device was installed and door staff watched the beer garden until 45 minutes after closing time. Since last year the pub, which was owned by the Burton on Trent-based Spirit Group, has been acquired by Orchid Pubs Tyne, based in St Albans.Last month the pub was again refused an application to extend its drinking hours.Karen Garrido, leader of the Tory Opposition on the council and a Worsley resident, said: "Ten years ago the Worsley Community Village Association was formed because of problems with the Bridgewater Hotel.

We had a public meeting and it was packed with more than 120 people. "Ten years down the line the community is still suffering the same problems. Enough is enough - we want the place closed."Manchester-based firm Licensing Legal is representing the residents at the panel hearing and has provided police, the council, and Orchid with copies of the film.Richard Williams of Licensing Legal said: "The film shows behaviour at the pub which is very unpleasant."There is substantial disorder, chanting, vandalism. Anyone seeing it would not want to live within half a mile of the place."Tracy Nailer, senior area manager at the Orchid Group, said: "We have been made aware of recent behaviour at the Bridgewater pub. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and we have immediately implemented several new measures, including:"After 9pm any bottles purchased will be served only in glasses."Anyone congregating outside the pub will be immediately disbanded."We are looking at new barriers to separate the pub's customers from those waiting for taxis."Additional CCTV is being installed to allow us to monitor even more aspects of the pub at all times.

"The door staff company employed at the time the footage was taken has been removed.

"The local community, and in particular our neighbours, are very important to us and so we welcome contact from the residents association and are very happy to work alongside them to resolve these issues."

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