Pub closed down after vicious attack

Memory Lane should have been closed when the attack was carried out, police said

A pub has been closed down after a man suffered facial fractures in a vicious attack.

On 20 April, the victim was punched more than a dozen times in the face at Seaham's Memory Lane pub, leaving him unconscious and seriously injured.

The venue was ordered to close after concerns were raised over how staff dealt with the attack, including their failure to call police.

At a meeting of Durham council's licensing committee, the venue's designated premises supervisor accepted responsibility for failings but said the pub had "run smoothly" until the fight.

Police raised several issues with the pub's handling of the attack, criticising staff for delays in handing over CCTV footage and removing glassware from the scene.

At the meeting on Thursday, Durham Constabulary's Sgt Caroline Dickenson said a dispute between venue owners meant officers were initially unable to view the CCTV.

She said staff had called an ambulance but not the police and questioned why the attack took place after 23:00 when the venue should have closed.

Sgt Dickenson said the seriousness of the incident, coupled with licence breaches and poor management, pointed towards a risk to public safety at the venue.

"The interference of the crime scene and removal of items has impacted on the chance of being able to obtain any forensics at the scene and the continuity of evidence is no longer intact," she added.

'Lack of control'

The victim of the attack remains in hospital, with his injuries so severe he has been unable to give an account of what happened.

At the hearing, police body-worn camera footage was shown capturing the extent of the man's injuries.

Emma Bird, Memory Lane's designated premises supervisor, said an on-going dispute between owners has affected how the business operates.

She told the hearing she was trying to abide by licensing rules, adding: "I am responsible, I should have been there and should be doing a lot more, but hurdles are being put in place of me all the time.

“The pub has run smoothly until this fight. Those people have never been in the bar in their lives.”

The licensing committee suspended the venue's licence and will meet later this year to review the decision.

Councillor David Brown, chair of the hearing, said: “There seems to be a complete lack of control with the premises."