Hartlepool bar facing licence review after glass throwing and fights

Cleveland Police have called for Jax Bar, located at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, to have its licence reviewed after reporting incidents of “throwing of glasses” and fights “in and outside” the premises.

An application for Hartlepool Borough Council to undertake a premises licence review said the site has “become one of the more reported premises in all the four districts” across Cleveland.

Andrew Thorpe, for the police, wrote: “We have had no other premises in Hartlepool with as many reported incidents as Jax Bar but there have been other premises which have been just as busy and open just as late.

“There have been 40 incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour in and around the premise in the past nine months.

“The incidents range from the throwing of glasses and persons causing injury, to fights in and outside the premise.”

He added as a result of the reports 17 arrests were made.

Camerons Brewery is listed as premises licence holder for the site, which has permission to open from 11am-4am from Mondays-Sundays.

The police application states an action plan was signed by the site’s designated premises supervisor in June 2021 and they have been in regular contact since.

Jax Bar previously faced a licence review in October 2020, which went before the council’s licensing sub-committee.

This came over concerns the site had not been operating in a “Covid secure way” while police raised issues of “crime and disorder, public nuisance and concerns over public safety”.

The meeting heard an “amicable agreement” had been reached, with Jax Bar changing its designated premises supervisor and agreeing to additional licence conditions such as more CCTV coverage.

However the latest application from Cleveland Police states “unfortunately things have not improved”.

It added: “A review application is always the last resort if all other avenues fail.

“Such are the concerns of Cleveland Police that they find no alternative but to make this application for the review of the premises licence.”

Both Jax Bar and Camerons said nobody was available to comment at this time.

Any review hearing will take place after the April 21 deadline for further representations.

Comments can be emailed to the council at [email protected]