Three Legs Leeds: City centre pub keeps licence after police investigate 'stabbing' and violent incident

The Three Legs, on The Headrow, was the subject of a licence review after police were called to an incident outside on February 2.

A report to Leeds City Council’s licensing sub-committee said two males threw punches in the pub before being ejected.

One left and later went to hospital with “an injury consistent with a stab wound”, the police report said. A third male was stabbed after the violence continued away from the pub and officers were called.

It comes less than two weeks after Greene King confirmed to the YEP that police were investigating the incident at the pub in Leeds.

PC Andy Clifford told the committee there had been a history of such incidents. He said: “There appears to be a low bar for behaviour from the customers.

“The severity of these stabbings is an escalation of previous events. Further escalation could lead to a fatality.”

Following the February 2 incident, an interim review of the licence was carried out and conditions agreed, including door searches.

Piers Warne, representing pub owner Greene King, told Thursday’s hearing: “There is no evidence provided today by the police to require further steps and more draconian steps.

“PC Clifford wants you to believe that the Three Legs is this consistently terrible, high-crime pub. The evidence just doesn’t stack up.”

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He said Greene King would continue to work with the police.

He added: “If there’s any sense from PC Clifford that Greene King is not taking this seriously we want this nipped in the bud.”

Mike Balmer, representing the designated premises supervisor and leaseholder Debbie Lacey, said staff training was implemented and radios provided for bar workers to communicate with door staff more easily.

Mr Balmer said: “Greene King take every incident of violence very seriously, particularly this incident that took place on February 2 that precipitated this review.”

He said there had been no further incidents in recent weeks.

PC Clifford said on one occasion police had observed 12 people entering the pub and eleven were not searched. He said: “On the balance of what I’ve said today I do feel this premises needs to have its licence revoked.”

Mr Balmer said hundreds of people had signed a petition calling for the pub to stay open. Letters of support from customers were included in evidence to the hearing.

The committee decided revoking the pub’s licence would not be proportionate. Extra conditions on the premises licence include an improved search policy and more door staff.