Ilkeston pub could lose its licence amid Police concern over "serious disorder"

An Ilkeston pub could lose its licence with police concerned about its links to “serious disorder” believed to be connected to two town centre deaths.

The Market Inn, in Ilkeston Marketplace, is the subject of an Erewash Borough Council licensing hearing on Wednesday, June 25, after an application from Derbyshire Police.

A decision has been made by the borough council’s legal team not publicly publish any of the police’s supporting evidence or its application, merely stating: “The application is for a Summary Review of the Premises Licence under Section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003 on the grounds that the premises are associated with serious disorder.”

The council agenda says: “Derbyshire Constabulary have made a full representation detailing police interactions and recorded incidents associated with the premises since 2023.”

An agenda for the upcoming hearing says the police applied for a review on June 4 with a request for interim measures to be carried out within 48 hours.

A closed-doors hearing was held on June 6 in which councillors suspended The Market Inn’s premises licence with “immediate effect”.

However, on June 14th, the venue appealed this decision and a further closed-doors hearing was held on the same date. As a result of this, the venue’s premises licence was reinstated but with additional conditions.

The upcoming full review hearing will mostly be held in private, with only statements from members of the public opposing or supporting the venue to be heard in public, with the rest of the issues, including the representations from police and list and details of relevant incidents, all to be heard behind closed doors.

The Market Inn pub has been approached for comment but has not responded at the time of publication.

A total of six public representations have been made with four letters showing support for the venue, including licensees of fellow Ilkeston venues, and two opposing it keeping its current licence.

These letters make reference to two “tragic and unnecessary deaths” on Ilkeston Marketplace in the past 18 months: 26-year-old Samuel Wilson on December 16th, 2023, and 19-year-old Liam Derrett on June 1st this year.

Zac Newman, 27, of The Crescent, Stapleford, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years in July last year for the murder of Mr Wilson.

Kai Donachie, 23, of Bilborough Road, Nottingham, and Joshua Harris, 24, of Little Hallam Lane, Ilkeston, have both been charged with the murder of Liam Derrett.

One further submission suggests police regularly patrol Ilkeston town centre and its late-night venues and consider venues having a signing in and out book for all customers.

Charlotte Lee, landlady at the Prince of Wales in South Street, detailed issues in managing customers once they leave licensed premises, writing: “Regarding incidents outside of the pub, neither my security staff nor I have any authority and are instructed by authorities not to intervene.”

A further licensee wrote: “There are many contributive factors to the issues in play here. They will not be resolved by simply closing down or restricting one outlet after another.

“Constant enforcement, enforcement, enforcement is not the answer to the problems.”

Paul Gaughan, chairman of Ilkeston and District Pubwatch for the past 20 years, suggested that the venue’s hours could be reduced from 2am to 1am and to increase the number of door security staff.

He wrote: “Quite clearly, with two unfortunate and unnecessary deaths both linked back to the Market Inn within the last 18 months, I fully understand the reason for the review and agree that some action is required.

“The designated premises supervisor has clearly done his best to maintain the running of the premises, often in difficult circumstances.

“One man cannot be accountable for all attributable incidents at the premises unless it can be proven that he has been negligent on several occasions and in my opinion, this cannot be proved.”

Mr Gaughan urged the council to avoid any “scapegoating” of the venue.