A Bury town centre bar with a "consistent theme of underage drinking" has been forced to shut after man was hurt outside its premises.
The council found that Hidden Bar, located off Silver Street, had breached the conditions of its licence by failing to check proof of age and prevent loitering outside its premises.
The local authority agreed to revoke Hidden’s licence after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) identified it as "associated with serious crime and disorder".
Hidden, which was opened in September 2020, had its licence suspended last month after a man in his 40s was left with a puncture wound, possibly caused by a stabbing, in a fight outside its premises.
At a review hearing on Thursday, the licensing hearings sub-committee heard the victim was subject to a "substantial and sustained attacked" during which security staff were "outnumbered" and offered little interjection.
PC Peter Eccleston, divisional licensing officer for GMP, told the committee that failure to prevent loitering after closing time had contributed to the incident.
He said: “If people had been sent on their way early doors, this wouldn’t have been happening.”
Police attended the bar on several occasions between May and September this year after numerous reports of underage drinking, including one instance of a 16-year-old boy using his Bury College ID card to gain entry.
READ MORE: Hidden Bar in Bury may have licence revoked after man hospitalised
Designated licence holder Paul Sarnoe, who lives in Bolton, said he took "full responsibility" for what had happened.
He said: “I would like to take the opportunity to learn from this experience as this is first time Hidden Bar has been in front of a committee.
“I would like to take the to properly prove that it can be a better and a safer environment.
“To sum up, I take full responsibility for the incidents, and I can only apologise profusely, I want a chance to learn and prove Hidden Bar can be better and will be better.”
But the sub-committee, chaired by Cllr Sandra Walmsley, revoked Hidden’s licence out of concern for public safety.
Cllr Walmsley said: “We have made the decision to revoke the licence, it not a decision we have taken lightly.
“Not only have the conditions not been met we have little confidence they would be met with conditions to the licence.
“There is a consistent and continuing theme of underage drinking.
“Hidden Bar has failed to meet the serious concerns and objectives and we have serious concerns for patrons attending Hidden Bar, especially children.
“We have made the decision to keep the interim steps in place until the period to appeal has ended.”
Mr Sarnoe has the right to appeal the decision.
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