The Licensing Sub Committee Hearing Panel of Manchester Council met on Tuesday 19 May 2026 to consider a summary review of a premises licence. The primary focus of the meeting was the review of the licence for The Angel Inn, following an application by Greater Manchester Police.

Summary Review of a Premises Licence - The Angel Inn, Wellington Street, Manchester, M18 8TX

The meeting was scheduled to consider a summary review of the premises licence for The Angel Inn, located at 37 Wellington Street, Manchester, M18 8TX. This review was initiated by an application from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) under section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003, which allows for expedited reviews when premises are associated with serious crime or disorder.

The report pack indicated that the application for a summary review was submitted on the grounds that the premises are associated with both serious crime and serious disorder. Specifically, the incident that triggered the review was in connection with an ongoing investigation into a kidnapping incident that occurred in close proximity to the premises. GMP believed that the management at The Angel Inn had made a deliberate attempt to hinder this investigation by removing or destroying CCTV footage.

The report detailed a series of events concerning GMP's attempts to obtain CCTV footage from the premises. Initially, officers attended on 12 April 2026 and were able to record some footage. However, subsequent attempts to retrieve a full copy of the footage were met with difficulties, including claims of password issues and eventually a refusal of access. On a later visit, officers noted that the CCTV system had been replaced. GMP stated that as a result of these enquiries, and a belief that management had deliberately hindered the investigation, a further crime for Perverting the Course of Justice had been recorded and was being investigated.

Due to these concerns, GMP requested that the Licensing Authority consider the suspension of the Premises Licence pending a full review. The report indicated that an interim steps hearing had already taken place on 27 April 2026, where the decision was made to suspend the licence with immediate effect pending the scheduling of a full hearing. The report noted that at the time of its preparation, no representations had been received against these interim steps.

The report also outlined the current premises licence details, including the licence holder, John Ellis, and the designated premises supervisor, Robert Brown. The licensable activities permitted by the licence were the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment (live and recorded music), and the provision of late-night refreshment.

The agenda also included a section for Further information from Greater Manchester Police and Further information from the Premises Licence Holder. The report pack contained a statement from the Premises Licence Holder, Inbrow Ltd T/A The Angel, and a statement from the manager, detailing their account of events and proposing a series of actions to address the issues raised, including changing the Designated Premises Supervisor, changing the Premises Licence Holder to the company, registering with the ICO, creating an incident book, installing a new CCTV system, and improving staff training.

The report also referenced the Secretary of State's Guidance to the Licensing Act 2003 and Manchester's Statement of Licensing Policy, outlining the legal framework and local policies that the Panel must consider when making its determination. The report concluded by detailing the steps the Panel could take, which included modifying licence conditions, excluding licensable activities, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the licence, or revoking the premises licence. The Panel was also required to review any interim steps that were in place.

The meeting was scheduled to be attended by Councillor Julie Connolly (Chair of Licensing and Appeals Committee), Councillor Muqaddasah Bano, and Councillor Lee Glover.