Complaints On Hotel Closing

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 16

Complaints On Hotel Closing

Five young men who had bought bottled beer before 7 p.m. in the tavern bar of the United Service Hotel yesterday declined to leave at 9 p.m.

They had not finished their beer, and were refused when they asked to buy more.

The licensee (Mr L. M. Gregory) and his assistantmanagers (Messrs M. Woodward and N. Ristrom) were in charge of the tavern bar at the time. One of the drinkers, Mr E. Adams, telephoned the police because he considered the drinkers were entitled to stay and to buy more beer. A sergeant and constable arrived and discussed the matter with the men and Mr Gregory for about 15 minutes.

The drinkers wanted to know whether the police were prepared to order the licensee to serve them a drink. They considered that Mr Gregory’s reasons for not serving them, because he was short of staff and unions might blacklist him, were not valid reasons in law.

The sergeant said he was not prepared to order Mr Gregory to serve a drink and would not take sides in the dispute. All he could do, he said, was to take an official complaint. Mr Adams originally said he did not think an official complaint was warranted because it was an academic dispute on principles and that Mr Gregory had acted like a gentleman throughout. However, Mr Adams and .the other four drinkers accepted the police invitation to accompany them to the central station. The five left the hotel about 9.20 p.m. Mr Adams and one of the other drinkers said that they would make an official complaint. The two were still at the police station about 10.30 p.m. A con-

stable was taking statements in writing and an inspector was present. Inspector G. R. Knight said that all complaints would be investigated. Mr A. A. Dryden went from the Prince of Wales Hotel about 8 p.m. to make a complaint at the central policestation. Another drinker from the Prince of Wales, Mr A. Holmes, arrived at the police station later to make a complaint.