‘Glassing’ attacks by women spark council clampdown on Preston pub

Paul Butcher, who runs the Stanley Arms in Preston, has also been ordered to increase door staff and close two hours earlier after the venue's licence was reviewed by councillors.

Police asked for the review after four people were "glassed" in separate attacks over a six week period in October and November - three of them by women. They were amongst 15 incidents of assault officers were called to at or near the pub over the past year.

But Paul, who has implemented all the restrictions called for by the licensing panel, told the Post: "It baffles me why the measures imposed on us are as strict as they are. Through one reason or another we have got some of the most stringent licensing restrictions in Preston.

"We have been made to use plastic glasses from 10pm - no other site has this in town. We have been made to cut our opening hours from 4am to 2am when next to no incidents have happened after 2am. We have also been forced to take on additional door staff, probably above and beyond any other similar pub. I think we've come out of it pretty badly if I'm honest."

Councillors heard about a catalogue of incidents in or just outside the Stanley. Police listed 28 separate call-outs, although most did not result in injuries. Officers said there had been a "worrying" escalation of violent incidents. But since the proposed review was first brought to the pub's attention Paul said things had been tightened up so much that not a single incident had been reported in the past six weeks.

"We are running a tight ship," he said. "It's a nice establishment. It's not a spit and sawdust bar. The people involved in those incidents have all been barred and we’ve got a much stricter entry policy.

"I fully understand why our licence was reviewed. But I feel we’ve been treated too firmly and not been given the opportunity to work with the police and the (licensing) authority. We’re being penalised financially when we’re now more on our game. We’ve had little recognition for the good work we’ve done over the last month and a half."

Paul claimed violence had increased generally in Preston's night-time economy since Covid restrictions were lifted. But an increased police presence on the streets during the World Cup and the build-up to Christmas had brought about a big improvement.

"Preston’s become a much safer place in recent weeks,” he said. “And if all venues look at what we can do better to reduce harm to people in our premises it would be a step in the right direction.”

The Stanley is considering appealing against the cut in its opening hours saying "next to no trouble happens after two o'clock." Paul explained: "I can't see the logic in that. We’ve tried to argue that through better door practice and being more on our game we can reduce the likelihood of incidents. Hopefully we can keep ourselves incident free for five or six months and then we can look at getting some of these conditions reversed."