Bar stripped of liquor license after nearly 100 offences

Police have lauded a decision to strip a bar charged with nearly 100 supply of alcohol offences within months of opening its liquor license.

The Liquor Licensing Authority cancelled the license for Flanagan's Bar and Grill in Lower Hutt after a hearing earlier this month.

Its decision, which will be effective from May 2, said it had no confidence the bar had the ability to reduce liquor abuse if the license was allowed to continue.

Flanagan's had been charged with 98 offences under the Sale of Liquor Act capacity since opening in July last year.

Alleged offences included selling or supplying liquor to an intoxicated person, allowing a person to become intoxicated in a licensed premises and permitting violent, quarrelsome and insulting or disorderly conduct to take place.

Lower Hutt Police Inspector Shane Cotter said the bar continued to rack up offences even after police warnings.

"These problems continued to occur despite police intervention, prompting us to take enforcement action when other efforts to gain compliance of the liquor licensing laws failed."

Mr Cotter said other Lower Hutt bars could face the same action for continued Sale of Liquor Act abuses.

He said police were willing to speak to bar owners to educate them about their obligations under the law.

- NZ Herald staff