A licensing review was taking place today after police said a bar was at the centre of violent disorder following last week's England v Denmark Euro 2024 game.
Greater Manchester Police have requested a summary review for Sky Bar in Kay Gardens, Bury, claiming 'serious crime and disorder' broke out following an incident shortly after midnight on Friday, June 22.
In a report to Bury Council's licensing committee, GMP said a man was repeatedly struck to the head with a large adjustable spanner, causing serious injuries.
Police said that during the alleged disorder a customer was struck by an advertising board and seemingly knocked unconscious and a female member of staff at the bar was punched to the face which knocked her off her feet, resulting in her colliding with a lamp post. The GMP statement said disorder began outside the bar and continued in the nearby Bury travel interchange.
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The alleged disorder came after the England versus Denmark game which kicked off at 5pm on Thursday with pubs and bars more busy than usual. A spokesman for GMP said an investigation into wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was ongoing with no arrests yet made.
Among the options for the licensing committee at today's hearing is to modify the conditions attached to the licence, to exclude the sale of alcohol from the scope of the licence, the removal of the designated premises supervisor from the licence or suspension of the premises licence.
The Manchester Evening News will be covering the hearing live.
Follow the updates in our blog below.
Key Events
Decision made
The licensing panel have imposed an interim change in licensing conditions that a door supervisor is on duty at Sky Bar every evening from 8pm and management explore staff training about 'de-escalation' - there will be a full review of the licence on July 19.
Panel retires to consider decision
The licensing panel has now retired to consider any licensing action they feel is appropriate - they will return to announce their decisions.
'Closing it would be a step too far'
Solicitor for the bar Malcolm Ireland has added: "I don't think it warrants closing the venue down - it's an easy option to suspend the licence and I believe it would be wrong - it would be a step too far.
"We're a bar that genrally speaking 'toes the line' - this is an isolated incident. We are asking not to suspend the licence."
'People came after the football finished'
Malcolm Ireland: 'we didn't have door staff on - it was quiet for the football but people came later after it finished - we acknowledge that mistake'
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024
'It's not a dive'
Solictor Mr Ireland adds on behalf of the bar:
There has been an outpouring of support for the bar - letters have been circulated to the panel. They range from a former police officer to a woman in her 70s. It's not a dive.
We will work with the police - we will share our understanding with them, our door supervisor had left after the football.
'It's a community bar'
Mr Ireland says:
You've seen horrific stuff that paints the bar in a bad light - but it's a community bar.
He says the bar's custom base is 'diverse' - ranging in age from 18 to 80 - and says the bar does 'a lot of charitable work'.
Everyone is welcome.
Solicitor speaks for Sky Bar
Solicitor Malcolm Ireland is now speaking on behalf of Sky Bar says he wants to talk about the bar and how they have reacted after the incident
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024
'This was horrendous - the bar was in complete disarray'
PC Eccleston:
There have been previous incidents at Sky Bar - the licensing objectives were not met with this incident.
This was horrendous, he was beaten with a wrench, the bar was in complete disarray.
This was on the evening of the England game - I asked all bars to up their security, such as no glasses outside. There were no door staff on at Sky Bar - like they have on Friday and Saturday. We've had to call an urgent licence review.
Investigations are continuing
The hearing is told police are still investigating all the suspected offences recorded from the incident.
'I don't know how he survived'
More from Chris at the hearing.
He says PC Eccleston, who's giving evidence, says he 'doesn't know how the man survived'.
PC Eccleston - 'I don't know how but he survived - we've got two assaults and a number of public order offences and assisting an offender'
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024
CCTV shown at hearing
PC Eccleston is showing the panel CCTV of the disorder incldung the man being struck at the Interchange
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024
'He was left for dead - he was lucky to survive'
The spanner is said to have been disposed of in a bin at the other side of the interchange.
Chris reports:
PC Eccleston says the man was 'left for dead'.
He says he 'lost a lot of blood from his mouth and nose, and lost teeth'.
He was 'lucky to survive', adds the officer.
Spanner 'used to strike man five or six times to the head'
Evidence continues.
PC Eccleston says a man picked up a large adjustable spanner from behind the bar and chased two males from the premises - two members of staff and three customers followed the two to Bury Interchange.
The spanner was used to strike one the men five or six times to the head, the constable says.
'One customer smashed an advertising board over another'
Chris reports from the hearing:
PC Peter Eccleson is now addressing the panel.
He says there was 'serious disorder' on Friday just after midnight immediately outside and at, Sky Bar.
Two customers, he says, had glasses removed outside the bar. One customer smashed an advertising board over another.
'Serious crime and disorder'
GMP believe the Sky Bar premises to be associated with serious crime and disorder
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024
Review gets underway
Our reporter Chris is now providing updates.
The review has begun - coun Imran Rizvi is chairing
— Chris Gee (@ChrisGeeLDR) June 25, 2024