The Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee of Durham County Council met to consider an application for a summary licence review of the Barnard Castle Working Men's Club & Institute, following a report of serious crime and disorder. The sub-committee was scheduled to consider the immediate suspension of the premises licence and the removal of the designated premises supervisor (DPS). At a full review hearing, the police will seek to have the premises licence revoked.

Application for Summary Licence Review: Barnard Castle WMC

The sub-committee was scheduled to discuss an application for a summary licence review of the Barnard Castle Working Men's Club & Institute, located in Barnard Castle, under section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003. The application, made by Licensing Sergeant Caroline Dickenson on behalf of the Durham Constabulary, requests an immediate suspension of the premises licence and removal of the DPS, with a view to revoking the premises licence at a full review hearing.

The application was prompted by an incident on 12 July 2025, where police were called to the premises following reports of a fight. According to the application for review, CCTV footage showed four males involved in a violent altercation, during which a pool cue was used as a weapon and broken, and a pool ball was concealed in a t-shirt to create another weapon. The police also received a complaint from a local resident who witnessed a continuation of the fight outside the venue, where there is no CCTV coverage.

Sergeant Dickenson stated that the call to the police was made ten minutes after the incident started, and that the bar staff provided limited details and falsely claimed that there were no weapons involved. She stated that the bar staff member was refusing to provide a statement to the police.

Superintendent Neal Bickford certified that in his opinion the premises are associated with both serious crime and serious disorder. He stated that a standard review of the premises licence would be inappropriate because:

it is clear from the CCTV footage currently available that there are no policies and procedures in place to safeguard the public and I would question how responsible the venue are being having a single member of bar staff on.

Superintendent Bickford concluded that immediate action was required to prevent further incidents due to the poor and inadequate management at this premises and the blatant disregard for licensing law.

Other items

The agenda for the meeting of the Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee [included][Agenda frontsheet Tuesday 15-Jul-2025 09.30 Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee] apologies for absence, the naming of substitute members and declarations of interest.