Macs owner branded ‘unreliable’ in report

PRESTON bar owner Andy Mac has been branded ‘unreliable’ and untruthful in a damming report into the reasons why Macs bar was shut down.
Mac's Bar in Friargate, Preston
Macs BarMac's Bar in Friargate, Preston
Macs Bar
Mac's Bar in Friargate, Preston Macs Bar

Macs owner Andrew Macdonald, known as Andy Mac, gave evidence to Preston City Council’s licensing sub committee two weeks ago.

The committee eventually decided to shut down the Friargate bar after trouble outside, public nuisance and allegations of under age drinking.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Yesterday the council released a 39-page document detailing the reasons for the closure.

The committee concluded: “We found Andrew Macdonald’s evidence to be unimpressive. We did not believe him, not consider him to be a reliable witness.”

The report concluded: “We find that the problems at Macs are caused by its mismanagement. In particular by Andrew Macdonald and Colin Harper [the Designated Premises Supervisor].

“Andrew Macdonald’s evidence crystallised for us the poor attitude deployed by Macs towards the promotion of licensing objectives.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We find that he repeatedly permitted under age customers entrance to the bar without being made subject to an identification check.”

Andy Mac had denied these allegations when he appeared before the licensing committee.

The bar was first shut down a month ago over concerns about disorder outside at closing time.

Andy Mac won an appeal over the decision at Preston Crown Court, but Preston Council then held a separate licensing review.

They decided to revoke the bar’s licence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking after the decision was announced, Andy Mac vowed to fight on, saying: “This is my city centre night club, it’s one of the most successful, popular ones in the city centre and we do very well.

“We are weighing up our options now, we don’t agree with the decision, we don’t think it was made correctly.”

Macs is a popular addition to the Preston night scene, and the decision to close it down sparked uproar on social media, with some clubbers claiming the police and council were being heavy handed.

Andy Mac has 21 days to appeal the decision.