Coronavirus: Birmingham pub accused of flouting lockdown ban

A Birmingham pub faces losing its licences after serving alcohol during the coronavirus lockdown, the city council says.

Police saw people leaving the Bricklayers Arms on 2 May and found three others inside and a 64-year-old man who was "worse for wear".

The council's licensing sub-committee heard the pub's tills, TV and gambling machines were also on.

The hearing was adjourned, with a decision to be made at a later date.

All pubs, clubs, cinemas and gyms were told to close by the government on 20 March, with legislation brought in to enforce that.

West Midlands Police said officers had been told people were being let in through a back entrance from 15:00 BST on 2 May, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The force added it had received similar reports since 30 March about the pub on Icknield Port Road.

It had put the safety of customers, families and the wider community at risk, the licensing hearing was told.

In a statement to the committee, Supt Gareth Morris said the premises smelt of "fresh smoke" and "it was clear that alcohol had been consumed on the premises, with cans of alcohol that had partly been decanted into pint glasses".

One person told officers he had drunk three cans of beer inside, while the details given by another man, who claimed to be the licensee, did not match police records, he said.

Malcolm Ireland, a solicitor representing Admiral Taverns which lets the premises, said there had been "very limited exchanges" with the tenant and it did not object to the police taking action given the seriousness of the allegations.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]