The owner of a city centre pub is facing council censure for allowing it to operate in breach of licensing laws for seven months.
Trust Inns, of Lancashire, owns around 600 pubs in the UK, including Lennon’s in Shore Terrace.
At a meeting of the licensing board on Thursday, the company will be reported for failing to have an official premises manager between September and March. It is a condition of its licence that alcohol can only be sold at the pub if it has a premises manager who holds a personal licence granted by the board.
A report by licensing standards officer Graeme Petrie says no manager was in place, so Trust Inns “committed a crime” by breaching the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
He explains a manager with a personal licence had been in charge of the pub until last July, when his lease ended. The following month, the company said it had in place a new premises manager with a personal licence, a John Hutchison.
However, in April Mr Hutchison was interviewed by council staff and said he had never worked at Lennon’s, which was confirmed by the cook/barmaid, Alison Mills. She said she carried out the manager’s duties and area managers of Trust Inns had always dealt with her and never asked to speak to the supposed manager.
Mr Petrie’s report adds, “It is the opinion of the licensing standards officers the premises licence holder, namely Trust Inns Ltd, has fallen short of discharging its legal responsibilities in relation to ensuring that a premises manager was in place.”
He points out Lennon’s has new lease holders and a premises manager and he suggests the licensing board consider issuing the firm with a written warning.