Police ask councillors to act over Boston pub's covid breaches

Boston Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee is to hear an application for a review of the licences for the Railway Inn at a meeting next Tuesday.

Lincolnshire Police says it has found evidence that the London Road pub failed to follow Covid-19 regulations which were in place in April.

A report calling for the review from the force’s chief constable Chris Haward says the Railway Inn breached restrictions which were in place soon after hospitality businesses were allowed to re-open for the first time under strict regulations.

It states that regulations breached included allowing people to queue for an outside bar, providing entertainment at too high a volume, inadequate cleaning measures in place, and that there were inadequate measures to deter drug taking.

The event in question was on April 17 and advice was given to the licensee before the event that volume of entertainment needed to be kept at background level, and no singing or dancing would be permitted.

The report says that a number of calls were received between 18.11 and 22.14 on the day about the level of noise and number of people at the pub, including one from a a 90-yearold who was being caused distress and worry.

Coun Alison Austin was among those who attended, having received lots of complaints from members of the public herself. The report says she had to get into her car to make the call because of the loud music, and said she detailed “an extremely loud party, shaking the houses it is that noisy”.

The report states that police did attend at 18.44 and the landlord had said he would turn down his music. The officer reported that there were around 200 present but all were adhering to social distancing at tables.

The report goes on to state that the forces Licensing Team received video and screen shots shared on social media following the event, which showed customers being allowed to use the bar outside, the mixing of people, and the dancing to loud music by a large group of people in a confined space.

It states that this happened at a time when Boston ranked 9th in the national coronavirus infection rates per 100,000 people (79.8) and had the highest infection rate in the county.

The chief constable’s report concludes by saying Lincolnshire Police are unable to offer any conditions that would prevent recurrence of “such a serious, deliberate breach of the current legislation, aimed at preventing the spread of the virus”.

It states that what was and wasn’t allowed to happen was explained to the licence holder before the event, and that advice appears to have been completely ignored.

“Many individuals and businesses are facing very serious financial hardship; however, they have chose to be responsible, at a huge personal cost to themselves and their families and abide by the legislation.

“Lincolnshire Police request that the revocation of the premises licence be seriously considered due to deliberately and knowingly undermining the licensing objectives.”