Covid: Liverpool hotel faces licence review after parties

Officers broke up four separate parties at the Richmond Apart-Hotel in Liverpool

A hotel where 200 people were found partying in breach of Covid-19 restrictions will face a licensing review.

Police officers broke up four separate parties at the Richmond Apart-Hotel in Liverpool in January.

Merseyside Police have called for the review as it is believed the premises on Hatton Garden are "associated with serious crime".

Its owners The Savvy Hotel Group have been contacted for a comment.

During the police raids, 13 fines were issued, evidence of drug use was found and 11 warnings, including for drugs offences, were handed out to the party-goers.

One woman was also held on suspicion of two counts of assaulting a constable, while a man was arrested on suspicion of breaching bail conditions.

'Crime and disorder'

The decision for a review comes after a meeting between Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council on Friday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The meeting, known as an interim steps hearing, was not open to the public but papers published by Liverpool Council confirmed it was linked to the parties on 31 January.

It stated officers had witnessed breaches of coronavirus legislation, constituting "serious crime and disorder".

A public notice issued later said: "The grounds for review are that in the opinion of a senior police officer of Merseyside Police the premises are associated with serious crime."

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