Sandwell bar's licence suspended following 'serious' police complaints

The Fox and Goose in West Bromwich have temporarily lost its licence.

Author: Molly HookingsPublished 6th Mar 2024
Last updated 6th Mar 2024

A bar and grill’s licence has been suspended following police complaints about “serious” crime and disorder.

The owners of the Fox and Goose in Greets Green Road, West Bromwich, have temporarily lost their licence following an incident on 23 February and another one in December 2023.

Police said a section 18 wounding with intent, two section 47 assaults – where somebody “intentionally or recklessly assaults another” causing actual bodily harm (ABH), and a common assault took place at the bar and grill on Friday 23 February.

Last month’s incident comes shortly after a man was left with “serious” injuries following a “brutal” assault at the bar and grill in the early hours of 10 December last year.

The man was hit in the face with a glass and left with extensive scarring and some loss of vision. 

A 34-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the incident, but he was later released while the investigation continued.

An appeal for witnesses from police followed with PC Cassandra Richards from Sandwell CID, saying: “This was a brutal assault which left a young man with horrendous injuries.

“It occurred in a busy pub with many members of the public present so somebody must have witnessed it.”

West Midlands Police requested that Sandwell Council urgently investigate its “serious” concerns over the Fox and Goose and councillors have ruled the venue should have its licence suspended pending a full hearing later this month.

The ruling comes following an ‘accelerated’ expedited review where Sandwell Council was given 48 hours to decide whether it was necessary to take interim steps over the concerns of a “senior” police officer.

The premises licence holder is listed as Tina Bali with Gurdeep Bali registered as the designated premises supervisor since June 2023.

The current opening hours are 4pm to 10.45pm every day but the current licence permits the bar and grill to sell alcohol until 11.30pm between Monday and Wednesday, 12.30am every Thursday, 2.30am on Friday and Saturday and 11pm on Sunday. The licence was first granted in September 2005.

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