How county licensing team are helping keep venues and nights out safe

A team of specialist police licensing officers are helping to keep nights out safe and enjoyable across Nottinghamshire.

From pubs, clubs, bars, and restaurants, to hotels, takeaways, shops, and supermarkets, Nottinghamshire Police’s county licensing team are responsible for around 3,000 licensed premises.

Their work behind the scenes helps ensure the public is kept safe from harm and that premises are compliant with their premise licence conditions.

Adrian Paling, senior licensing officer at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Our role is to support the four licensing objectives – ensuring public safety, preventing crime and disorder, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm.

“This is achieved by working closely with businesses to support them and providing expert guidance and best practice.

“Licensing is designed to ensure venues comply with their conditions and assess how they responsibly manage their business to ensure it is a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The county licensing team work closely with venues to ensure preventative measures are in place to avoid repeat incidents. This can include installing CCTV, use of door supervisors, and ensuring suitable staff training is in place.

The safety of women and girls is a priority for the licensing team, which helps promote safeguarding initiatives and ensure that venues have welfare procedures in place.

Promotion of the national Ask for Angela scheme is used as best practice, along with supporting venues through other police-backed initiatives to increase their knowledge and awareness of vulnerable people in a premises.

A licence authorises a premise to offer certain activities and services, such as the supply of alcohol, regulated entertainment, or the sale of hot food and drink late at night.

New venues must apply for a licence, which is granted by the local authority, and the force’s licensing officers are one of several consultees who can object or make recommendations to approved applications.

Officers work proactively with venues to address concerns, but enforcement actions such as warning letters or fines can be issued. They can also request a council to review a licence following concerns at a premises.

Other initiatives designed to reduce offending and keep members of the public safe include working to reduce secondary markets for stolen goods, which are often sold in pubs.

Licensed venues are encouraged to report thieves who use their business to sell stolen goods to customers and staff or risk an official warning or an application to the council to review a licence.

Test purchasing operations are also conducted which authorises an underage customer to attempt to purchase age-restricted items, such as alcohol and vapes.

Adrian added: “Nottinghamshire has a vibrant night-time economy that attracts thousands of visitors who want to enjoy what we have on offer.

“Fortunately, we have few problematic venues, and it is even rarer for us to have to take action to close a premises.

“This clearly demonstrates that the work of our licensing team behind the scenes is effective and has fostered valuable relationships with individual licence holders to address any concerns.

“Licensing is just one part of a force-wide response to improve the safety of our night-time economy and helps ensure members of the public can enjoy their nights out without issue.”