Burnley pub has licence supended for breaking Covid rules

Burnley Council's licensing sub-committee met to consider a police application for summary review of the Angel Inn, Accrington Road, after staff were found to have broken Covid safety restrictions.

The committee decided the licence of the Angel Inn should be suspended for three months. Having already been suspended as an interim step at an earlier hearing, the three-month suspension will begin once any appeal period has lapsed, or if an appeal is lodged once the appeal has been dealt with. In the meantime, the interim suspension remains in place.

Councillors also said that when the pub re-opened it should have measures in place to ensure that staff were at all entrances to ensure test and trace procedures were carried out on customers, and that CCTV should be improved to cover all rooms open to the public, apart from the toilets, and be viewable from the bar area.

Coun. Afrasiab Anwar, the council’s executive member for community and environment, said: “The vast majority of businesses are following the Covid restrictions which are in place to protect the lives of staff, customers and others. We’ve worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes across our borough to support their efforts to be Covid-safe throughout the pandemic.

“Unfortunately this business flouted the rules, and on several occasions, and in cases like this the council will work with partners and take appropriate action against those responsible.

“The lack of control exercised by the premises licence holder at this pub was completely unacceptable, and this determination shows the serious consequences that can follow persistent breaches of coronavirus restrictions.”

The committee was told that Covid regulations had been breached numerous times.

The committee heard that police officers had seen people drinking at the pub illegally on several occasions in October and November when the borough was under Tier 3 Covid restrictions and during national lockdown. Tier three restrictions at the time banned pubs from serving alcohol without substantial meals.

On one occasion, when police officers investigated lights and music coming from the pub, those inside tried to escape but officers blocked the exits. After being let inside the building officers found three people hiding in an upstairs room.