The Licensing Sub-Committee met on Monday 12 January 2026 to review the premises licence for The Royal Oak pub. The committee decided to remove the suspension of the licence with immediate effect, confirm that Mrs Shannon would no longer be the designated premises supervisor, and that the new licence holder, Mr Kane Britten, must comply with all licence conditions.

Review of Premises Licence - The Royal Oak

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered a review of the premises licence for The Royal Oak, located at 88 Doddington Road, Wellingborough, NN8 2LJ. This review was initiated by Northamptonshire Police following an incident of serious crime and disorder on 15 December 2025.

The report presented to the committee detailed that an application for an expedited review under section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003¹ had been made by Northamptonshire Police. This section allows for a review if premises are deemed to be a cause for serious crime or disorder. The police considered the premises to be associated with serious crime. Consequently, an interim suspension of the premises licence was imposed by a sub-committee on 18 December 2025, pending the full hearing.

During the meeting, Mrs Rita Groves, Licensing Enforcement Officer, presented the report and explained the reasons for the previous suspension. She noted that at the time of the incident, Mrs Tracy Shannon was the licence holder and Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS). The details of the incident were still under police investigation.

Northamptonshire Police, represented by PC David Bryan, reiterated the events leading to the suspension. PC Bryan confirmed that the incident involved a serious assault, and the premises' CCTV footage had been provided. He stated that discussions with the new licence holder, Mr Kane Britten, had been positive, and the police had no objection to the licence being reinstated, provided all licence conditions were met. Members of the sub-committee questioned PC Bryan about the adequacy of the CCTV system, which he described as adequate, though the internal footage was a little grainy. He confirmed that CCTV footage must be retained for 31 days and operate 24/7, covering all entry and exit points and areas where alcohol is sold.

Mr Kane Britten addressed the committee, expressing his desire to take over the lease of The Royal Oak, which he described as a community pub important to the local area. He explained that he, his wife, and other staff would undergo appropriate training to become licence holders and DPS. Mrs Shannon confirmed that she no longer wished to be the DPS and would be stepping away from the licensed trade.

Following these discussions, the sub-committee resolved to remove the suspension of the premises licence with immediate effect. They also confirmed that Mrs Shannon would no longer hold the role of Designated Premises Supervisor. The new premises licence holder, Mr Kane Britten, was instructed to ensure full compliance with all conditions attached to the premises licence.