Police have asked for a review into the way a pub is being run after 12 punch-ups in five months.

According to police, people have been punched, kicked, head butted and glassed at The Clipper pub in Dartford.

In one incident, a fight involved 30 people doing battle with bottles, belts and chains as weapons.

The High Street pub, formerly the Tollgate, will go before a licensing committee at Dartford council on Monday, September 22.

The report before councillors states: “The Clipper has been either the location for or a contributing factor in 12 incidents within the last five months.

"These incidents have created 16 police crime reports for investigation.”

These were four reports of grievous bodily harm, seven actual bodily harm, two assaults on police officers, one affray, one assault and one criminal damage.

The application, by PC Christopher Hill states: “Kent Police Licensing and Dartford council have been working closely with The Clipper management and door team over these last five months in an attempt to resolve the ongoing issues.

“Keith Frenchum from Dartford council reports that he has had cause to attend The Clipper on 12 occasions between January 10 and July 16 and issued three formal letters.

“Kent Police Licensing have held meetings with the Designated Premises Supervisor David Smith and the door team employed, Team Nok, on five occasions.”

The last meeting was in July with licence holder Mehdi Afshar, David Smith and Team Nok, although the new Designated Premises Supervisor is Anthony Love.

“It is now felt by Kent Police Licensing that staff at The Clipper are unable to sufficiently manage the premises in a safe manner without incidents of crime and disorder occurring.”

Discussions were mainly around an assault on June 22 where a Russian man had been going around the pub offering people high fives.

He approached a group in the garden to offer them a high five and the victim was punched in the face.

Door staff intervened and escorted the offender away but it transpired this was the wrong man.

Meanwhile, the victim was being punched and kicked inside the pub by the actual offenders.

He was kicked in the head causing “deep cuts”. One of the victim’s friends was also punched. The offenders were never found.

At the meeting it was agreed that door staff would be increased from three to four but two further incidents occurred after the meeting.

On July 12 there was a fight involving about 30 people outside the pub. A man had been kicked out after he was seen being sick.

He then got involved with a group of people in the street and then others ran out of The Clipper and got involved.

Bottles, belts and chains were used as weapons. Door staff attempted to intervene but the fight was too big.

One man was found to have suffered injuries from being glassed.

Then on July 16, a man made a comment about another customer in the pub being ‘weird’.

The other man punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. It turned out the offender had been banned from the pub for threatening behaviour but staff at the venue were too scared to refuse him service.

Staff were also “reluctant to name the offender to police”.

The report concludes: “The premises licence holder made it abundantly clear during the meeting that he would not make any changes voluntarily to his premises licence in order to curb the violent trend that was occurring at the premises.

“It is now felt by Kent Police Licensing that staff at The Clipper are unable to sufficiently manage the premises in a safe manner without incidents of crime and disorder occurring.”

Police are asking Dartford council for a number of changes, including reducing the opening times to midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays rather than 2am; improved CCTV that is kept for 31 days; to suspend the licence for a month; and ensure there are four door supervisors.

The Licensing Sub-Committee meeting takes place on Monday, September 22 at 7pm.

What was reported?

• Saturday, February 8: Female victim punched twice to face after rejecting advances of male inside the pub.
• Sunday, February 9: Disturbance on the dance floor between two groups of men. An hour later two victims approached and punched repeatedly to the head. One man suffered fracture eye socket which required metal plate.
• Monday, February 17: Two females began to fight. Police arrested both involved but were pinched and head butted.
• Sunday, March 2: Man alleged he was assaulted by door staff. CCTV shows door staff taking man down an alleyway but view was out of sight for CCTV. No charges against anyone involved.
• Sunday, March 2: Partners argued and it escalated when a man punched a woman in the chest. He was ejected and later charged with assault.
• Saturday, March 8: Man was sick inside pub. Abusive to door staff and grabbed one of them. The offender was cautioned. On viewing CCTV, door staff were seen grabbing the man by the throat and punching him.
• Saturday, March 8: Man punched in the face “for no apparent reason”.
• Saturday, March 22: Two men kicked out after altercation. They returned later and kicked doors and smashed a window. Charged with criminal damage.
• Saturday, April 19: Bar staff became involved in argument with customers. Drink was thrown over member of staff who then threw glass at the group. One customer received “large cut that required stitches”. Member of staff charged with assault.
• Sunday, June 22: Russian man offering high fives. Punched and kicked. Offenders never identified or found.
• Saturday, July 12: Large fight between 30 people outside the pub.
• Wednesday, July 16: Man punched in the face and knocked unconscious.

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