'Stolen' CCTV footage of pub triggers review

The council will make a decision on March 6

A pub is set to have its licence reviewed after its owner claimed CCTV footage of a "lock-in" had been stolen, two days after the council requested a copy.

City of Wolverhampton Council has been investigating the Rocket Pool Inn, Bradley, after managers were found to have breached the licence having failed to provide the footage and not getting a fire risk assessment done.

Council staff said they had seen footage of a lock-in, recorded in the early hours last November when they were finally able to access the pub's CCTV cameras before, two days later, being told it had been stolen during a break-in.

The pub's current licence lists Balbir Duhra as the designated premises supervisor (DPS) and Ravinder Singh Hill as the licence holder.

The council investigation follows initial concerns the pub was being run without a designated supervisor as the one named on the licence had allegedly left the business.

The checks led to council officers establishing how a fire risk assessment had not been carried out and staff could not provide CCTV for the previous month.

'Unable to sell alcohol'

After inspectors told managers about these licence breaches, they gave them two weeks to rectify the issues with the missing CCTV footage and the fire assessment.

However, with four days to go then DPS David Causer withdrew his consent with immediate effect leaving Mr Gill being told the pub was no longer authorised to sell alcohol.

Council inspectors visited again in early December to look at the pub's CCTV and fire risk assessment, only to be told by a member of staff there was nobody available to access the CCTV – in another breach of its licence.

Later that month, the council was shown footage from a weekend in late November that featured the "lock-in".

Inspectors requested a copy of the footage, but by the end of the following day this had still not been supplied.

The council's licensing subcommittee meets in Wolverhampton on Thursday to make a decision about the pub's future.