Pub loses licence for lock-in and fire breaches

A pub has been stripped of its licence after "persistently" breaching conditions and claiming the CCTV footage of a late-night lock-in was stolen just two days after council officials requested a copy.

Juggi Sunar, who ran the Rocket Pools Inn in Wolverhampton for 20 years, died suddenly on 7 January with ownership handed to Kiran Sunar and son Shaun.

The pair asked for a "clean slate" and to keep running the pub, but councillors refused.

City of Wolverhampton Council's solicitor Ronald Sempebwa said the pub's licence holder had showed "repeated disregard for public safety."

Mrs Sunar, who was legally separated from Mr Sunar, told a hearing on Wednesday she was "appalled" by the how the business had been run, she found the licence review "deeply concerning", and was prepared to "do whatever she could to make the pub a success."

Mr Sunar's son said he was willing to "step up" as the new licence holder and "not follow the path of the last management."

But councillor Alan Butt said he was unsure whether the inexperienced Mr Sunar would be ready to start afresh.

The pub's designated supervisor, Balbir Durha, did not attend the hearing and his appearance "would have gone a long way" to allaying the council's concerns, Mr Sempebwa said.

Licence holder Ravinder Singh Gill did also not attend after stating he had suffered an anxiety attack over appearing.

Councillors were told about concerns that the pub was running without a designated supervisor as the one named on the licence had allegedly left the business.

Checks led to council officers finding that the pub, in Rocket Pool Drive, did not have a fire risk assessment and could not provide CCTV for the previous month – two conditions of its licence.

Footage of a 04:00 lock-in last November was found when the council finally got hold of the pub's CCTV, only for the owner to tell the local authority just two days later, after a copy of the video had been requested, that it had been stolen in a break-in.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.