Police and council collaborate to improve pub safety in Rotherham

South Yorkshire Police now work with Rotherham Council’s licensing staff and use a specialist licensing barrister to provide specialised training to a squad of both police and council staff.

That is designed to brush up their knowledge of the Licensing Act and how it can be mused to maximum effect.

Their work has resulted in improvements at pubs which came to the attention of the authorities, including the Red Lion in Wath and the County Borough in Rotherham town centre.

A report on the work of Rotherham police, submitted to the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, explained the move at the Red Lion followed an incident where a “life threatening” assault took place between customers after they had left the pub.

As a result, an agreement was brokered which involves the use of door staff, an upgrade for a CCTV system and the use of glasses made from polycarbonate at what police describe as “key” times.

Since those changes were made, there had been no further problems with violence, said the report.

At the County Borough police were aware of “a series of violent and anti social incidents” which resulted in a meeting between different agencies.

That resulted in the licensee moving on and the report added: “Furthermore, the group management have invested in the premise and agreed to the addition of a series of robust conditions put in place to improve safety and reduce demands upon services.”