A city centre bar could lose its operating licence after police recorded serious crime there

Cambridgeshire Police have requested a review of the operating licence granted to Bar 42 on Broadway in Peterborough following a case of “serious crime” occurring there.

Last month, Peterborough City Council took action against the pub, temporarily revoking its licence following a series of violent incidents.

The authority said a woman was the victim of a serious sexual assault in the bar last November. Two more violent incidents occurred on July 11 and 20, in which a man was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage.

Yasir Ali, the director of Bar 42, had previously told the BBC that he was “sad about the decision” but “respect the paths that must be taken”.

“We hope we can work with the relevant authorities to make Bar 42 a safe place for our customers again,” he added.

Peterborough City Council is hosting a Meeting of the Licensing Committee on August 20th to discuss the venue license.

Previously, Sam Tucker, chief of Cambridgeshire Police, had requested an expedited review of the operating licence.

Police listed three “serious” crimes that took place at the bar, including the rape of a 17-year-old on November 5, a fight on July 11 and a case of aggravated assault following a fight on July 20 in which a man suffered a brain hemorrhage and broken bones.

In addition, police said that the rape suspect was reported to the bouncer at the time of the crime, but the bouncer was unable to arrest him at the scene.

Police also said that during the incident on July 20, the first report came from Peterborough City Hospital, confirming that a man had been attacked on the premises by four or five other men. No calls were received from Bar 42.

The investigation revealed that possible witnesses were forcibly removed from the premises, but the suspects left the scene unhindered, police said.

In a letter, Superintendent Ben Martin of Cambridgeshire Police said: “Police are concerned about the severity and brutality of recent crimes, two of which occurred on the premises within ten days.

“The investigation indicates inadequate management of the site, including failure to arrest perpetrators and failure to secure the crime scene.”

Representatives of the press and the public were barred from attending next week’s meeting.