A Brighton pub has been temporarily closed after Sussex Police expressed concerns that it was not complying with the terms of its licence.
The Licensing Panel in Brighton and Hove is reviewing the licence of The Black Horse pub on Church Street, which will have its operations suspended for 28 days.
Police requested the review because they were concerned that the premises was not meeting its goals of ensuring public safety and preventing crime and disorder.
It comes after an incident on Thursday, January 12, in which the premises failed to notify police of a fight, resulting in a man being taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Police were also not called to a similar serious disorder on December 28, 2022, despite the fact that high level drug readings were recorded several times in the previous 12 months.
At a meeting on Thursday, January 19, the Licensing Panel, comprised of Brighton and Hove City Council members, voted to suspend the licence.
Following the completion of a thorough review, a decision will be made.
“Licensed premises have a duty to ensure the safety of their customers and the general public,” said Detective Superintendent Rachel Carr. Failure to meet these obligations will be taken very seriously by the police and our partners.
“We are committed to working with premises to help them meet their licencing objectives, but repeated failures will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly.
“I hope Brighton and Hove’s Licensing Panel’s decision sends a clear message to licence holders that we and our partners will not hesitate to take positive action to protect our communities.”
