Dozens protest as Wyken pub's licensees are axed

Customers at a Coventry watering hole came out in their hordes to show their support for the licensees who face being turfed out by the brewery owners.



Around 30 regulars at The Wheel staged a protest outside the pub, in Sewall Highway, Wyken, today after hearing that the current licensees had been told to leave – with just 24 hours’ notice.

The licensees had received a letter from Enterprise Inns stating that the pub’s licence was being revoked, and they were ordered to hand the keys over the next day.

Enterprise insisted it had issued “repeated warnings” over breaches of licensing requirements and had been forced to take action.

It meant the pub was forced to stop serving almost straight away – putting the jobs of their seven members in doubt.

It also meant some staff who had been living above the pub had just hours to find alternative accommodation.

One couple who have been visiting the pub for several years, Audrey and John Cooke, also had to scrap their 60th wedding anniversary party, which had been due to take place there on Sunday night.

Suki Singh, one of a team of licensees who have been running the pub since September, said: “We had a notice on Thursday saying we had to be out by Friday afternoon – but we need to know a reason why.

“They (the brewery) can see the place has been turned around, the pub has got its customers back – it’s a real community pub.”

He said they had spent around £12,000 on the pub to date – an investment which now seemed to be lost.

And he added: “The locals have been great to us and I’m distraught for the couple who had their 60th anniversary party booked for this weekend.

“Customers have told us they won’t come to the pub if the brewery take it off us.”

An Enterprise spokesman said: “Despite repeated warnings, Enterprise has been forced to take action at The Wheel as the pub was not being run in the manner that we require from our publicans.

“There have been multiple breaches of licensing requirements and food hygiene issues.

“The local police has also warned of anti-social behaviour and have threatened to remove the pub’s licence.

“In order to ensure that the pub can remain in the local community as a licensed house, we have been given no option but to remove the publican.”

That used to be a great pub. I've not been in for a couple of years, but dropping in there before visiting Charlie's chip shop used to be a Saturday night ritual.

Popular Wyken pub stays shut as row between licensees and brewery continues

A popular Coventry pub remains closed as a row between the tenants and the owner blazes on.

The doors at The Wheel, in Sewall Highway, Wyken, were shut on Friday, May 2, after Enterprise Inns suddenly revoked the licence and said the current management team had just 24 hours to clear out and leave the keys.

The Telegraph reported how around 30 pub regulars turned out to show their support for the current trio of tenants on the day, but a representative from Enterprise failed to show and the licensees say there has been no contact since.

In a statement the brewery accused the licensees of not running the pub “in a manner that we require from our publicans” and said there had been “multiple breaches of licensing requirements and food hygiene issues”.

Bosses at Enterprise also stated that the police had been called to the pub on numerous occasions.

But Dave Nijjar, one of the partners who have been running the pub since September, said they felt “victimised” by the brewery and that they had been slowly but surely turning the fortunes of The Wheel around.

Coventry Police’s partnerships and licensing manager, Inspector Hassan Shigdar, said: “The pub had been placed on an action plan in a bid to address areas of concern regarding its management.

“There had been incidents of disorder and evidence of drug misuse at the premises. Our licensing team were in regular dialogue with the tenant and the brewery over a period of time.”

But he said the decision to revoke the license had been made by the brewery.

Mr Nijjar said: “We did have an action plan as there was a degree of problems and we were trying to sort them out. The police were happy with what we were doing and they were coming to do regular checks.

“We also have written proof from the council stating they are satisfied with the way the pub is being managed.”

He denied there had been any problems with food hygiene at the pub.

A spokesman for Coventry City Council confirmed the last inspection carried out by food safety officers was in November 2012, which had shown no problems.

Mr Nijjar added: “We would also like to say an apology from the licensees to Mr and Mrs Cooke who were supposed to have their 60th wedding anniversary party here at the weekend.”