“Western-style brawl” in Southampton pub - only weeks after closing due to fight

The Shirley based pub was reopened on the basis of strict licensing conditions following a previous altercation.

The doorman, who is in his 40s, was trying to break up the fight but ended up requiring medical assistance for injuries to his face.

An ambulance was called to the disturbance but it is thought that the bouncer did not require hospital treatment.

One person on the local paper's comment section described the incident as a "Western-style brawl". 

Arrest

Police did arrest a man in connection with the incident and a spokesman has said that a 20-year-old man was arrested and has been bailed until June 17.

Just two weeks prior, the pub narrowly escaped closure after a separate brawl which also included a member of door staff.

On this occasion, police were called to reports of an altercation at 11.57pm on April 29 which grew to involve a number of people following a dispute including two men.

Committee

Southampton newspaper the Daily Echo​ was at the committee meeting and said that the chair of Southampton City Council licensing committee Matt Tucker confirmed that a private panel meeting was to take place last Wednesday (May 4) at the city’s Civic Centre

Tucker said he could not comment but mentioned that circumstances would be looked at and a decision would be made accordingly.

Last month (April), the paper reported the Shirley pub avoided being shut down following a brawl involving a member of staff punching a punter.

During the city council licensing hearing, attendees were told that about 30 people were involved at the pub including an unnamed member of staff who hit a customer and then escaped over a fence.

The police did ask the committee to contemplate revoking the pub’s license.

Medical assistance

Two people needed medical assistance after the incident which happened in the small hours of March 20 and resulted in an emergency shutdown.

Those at the meeting heard that the Stratton Road pub been reported by police more than 20 times since late 2014 with allegations such as “sexual entertainment”.

A spokesperson for licensee Tony Cookson who denies wrongdoing, explained that the majority of the complaints were made by a rival pub, according to the Daily Echo​.

Cookson was ordered to train staff further, ban them from drinking on duty, not allow punters behind the bar and hire bouncers for live music evenings and private functions.

Reopened

He met these requests and reopened one week later.

Local residents wrote to the council in support of the pub and just one letter of opposition was received, the committee heard.

Pub regular Christopher Kelly has been frequenting the Shield and Dagger for the last 27 years and said he was “astounded” by clampdown threat from police.