A Welling pub accused of breaching coronavirus lockdown rules after rowdy revellers triggered phone calls to the police has had its penalty handed down.

Licence holders of the Green Man pub fronted Bexley’s licensing sub-committee late last month after a referral from the police after an incident in May 31.

Although faced with potentially losing the premises licence, the sub-committee instead suspended sale of takeaway drinks for two weeks, while beefing up conditions surrounding CCTV and signage at the venue.

The new conditions state the pub can’t sell alcohol at all if the CCTV isn’t working; while frontline staff will also be required to undergo training surrounding the responsible sale of alcohol.

In their findings, the sub-committee expressed leniency due to the publicans owning up to their mistakes.

Councillors, however, did acknowledge “the failings were serious”.

“The sub-committee does give the premises licence holders some credit for

admitting their errors. Thoughtlessness, rather than some other motive, was the cause of the issues,” a report on the outcome stated.

Among the major issues highlighted by the sub-committee were that toilets were open to customers to use when they should have been closed, while revellers weren’t prevented from gathering on or near the premises on the day.

The review came after Metropolitan Police visited the pub after receiving multiple calls from neighbours concerned that social distancing measures were being flouted, after it opened up for off-sales on May 31.

PC Mark Evans, who presented to the virtual meeting on behalf of the police at the review, said some callers had said there was 100 revellers milling out the front of the pub or on the nearby Shoulder of Mutton green.

He added that police who attended had “noticed, in their own experience, that some of these customers were intoxicated”.

The sub-committee said it didn’t come to a finding on those claims.

At the review East Wickham ward member Steven Hall said that he was “representing several residents who are sadly too afraid to speak out for fear of reprisal” from pub-goers.

He said that he had heard from residents who claimed they’d suffered “verbal abuse” over the last 15 years from pub patrons after complaining about “noise and rowdy behaviour” at the site.

However, representative for the wife-and-husband management duo of the pub, Steven and Lisa Cobbold, told councillors the pair had “run the pub without issue” for 22 years, except for one 2014 noise complaint.

The representative added there had been no previous concerns brought by the police or licensing authority against the pub, stating that the pair “always strive to work proactively and collaboratively” to address any issues.

She said it was a “source of deep regret” for the pair to front the licensing committee and that they had strived to create a community, family-friendly venue at the pub.