Wakefield pub staff to undergo crime scene training after fatal assault
Tony Powles, 62, died in hospital 13 days after the suspected attack at the Red Lion in Alverthorpe
Staff at a pub in Wakefield are to undergo training on how to preserve a crime scene after a man died following an alleged assault at the premises.
A licensing sub-committee agreed to allow the operators of The Red Lion, on Batley Road, Alverthorpe, to keep its licence for the pub following a review hearing.
Tony Powles, 62, died in hospital 13 days after the suspected attack on October 9 and a 27-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter.
West Yorkshire Police requested Wakefield Council carry out a review of the premises, run by Punch Taverns, on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder.
A statement by licensing officer PC Toby Warden, provided in advance of a hearing held on Thursday, said the incident was witnessed by the manager who, following the assault, “cleaned the area, potentially destroying forensic evidence.”
PC Warden said: “On initial enquiries, police were unable to download footage from the CCTV system present and no calls were made by the premises reporting the incident to the police.
“There is also suspicions that the manager, who had been working during the evening, was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.”
The officer told the hearing at Wakefield Town Hall that the pub had been handed back to Punch Taverns following the incident and a new operating schedule for the premises had been agreed following discussions.
PC Warden also told the meeting that he was not aware of previous incidents at the premises.
The licensing panel agreed to modify of the pub’s licence to include conditions that staff receive training relating to reporting crime and the preservation of evidence.
Piers Warne, a solicitor representing Punch Taverns, said the previous tenant no longer worked for the company and the pub was temporarily shut down in November.
Mr Warne said plans were in place to reopen it in March or April next year under a new operating model.
He said the pub would undergo refurbishment and a CCTV system upgrade before reopening with a new manager.
Mr Warne said the company operated around 1,250 pubs and the Red Lion was its only premises that were currently under review.
The solicitor said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the victim’s family, That’s something we wanted to say.”
In response to questions from councillors about the incident, he replied: “What went wrong here was actually how they reacted after the incident.”
Mr Warne said there would be a “robust process” to find a new tenant for the pub.