THE hearing into a review of the Weymouth Angling Society drinks licence has been held behind closed doors.
Dorset Police asked for it to be held without Press or Public present because it said investigations into claims of an assault at the club two years ago were ‘ongoing and needed to be kept confidential.’
In a meeting which was open to the public at County Hall, Dorchester for just a few minutes the three councillors who made up the licensing panel agreed to the meeting being held in private.
The step is unusual, but not unprecedented, a similar case into the licence review for a Weymouth town centre pub was also held behind closed doors. That case had also involved allegations of an assault outside the premises.
Papers open to the public show Dorset Police suggesting that the Angling Society’s licence be revoked with the force critical of the club for not making available CCTV at the time of the alleged incident. The images were later handed to the man who claimed he was assaulted and left unconscious outside the club until found by a passer-by. The incident is said to have taken place on the afternoon of September 16th, 2023 and followed an earlier verbal exchange at the bar.
A suspect interviewed by the police at the time said he had acted in self-defence believing he was about to be attacked, according to a police statement.
Dorset Police suggest the Premises Licence should only be allowed to continue as it is if councillors are persuaded that the situation is unlikely to ever happen again and the club can prove it is meeting all the licensing objectives.
The Angling Club said in their statement that it has had a change of committee in the past two years and was operating correctly and maintaining all the licensing objectives.
Wednesday’s hearing was attended by the alleged victim of the assault, Mr Martyn Longman, who now lives in the Bristol area, who had asked for a review of the club licence.
The society was represented by Mr Steve Clements who described himself as the welfare officer and Mr David Lane who described himself as the 2024/25 chairman.
The decision of the licensing panel is expected to be announced within five working days of the hearing.
Related item: Angling club assault leads to licence review
Weymouth Angling Society welfare office Steve Clements and chairman David Lane
Licensing panel
Weymouth Angling Society victim Martyn Longman