A landlord has quit and his club has closed following a police probe into violence at the bar.

Malcolm Wilson, formerly in charge of the West Street Social Club, Wigton, has surrendered his licence after the force was called to a string of incidents including assaults and anti-social behaviour.

The popular drinking spot, once known as the British Legion Club, now cannot open to the public until further notice.

Police had requested a review of the premises' licence due to fears for the public's safety and alleged licence breaches.

But before any inquiry could take place Mr Wilson, 64, decided to hand in his licence to Allerdale Council at the end of last month.

In a statement on the club's Facebook page, the former landlord admitted that he was giving up his licence due to increased pressure from the police.

Sergeant Gill Atkinson, community sergeant for the Wigton area with responsibility for licensing, told The Cumberland News : "Between January and March police had been requested for assistance with a number of incidents of violence from within West Street Social Club or directly outside.

"Local officers, including the constabulary’s dedicated licensing officer PC Brooks and problem solving officer PC Pettit, have worked closely with the licensee in order to resolve the reoccurring issues and found that there were a number of licence breaches.

"The licensee was also contacted on a regular basis by other partner agencies such as Allerdale Council.

"Due to concerns for the safety of members of the public, Cumbria Constabulary submitted an application to the licensing authority to review the current licensing permissions.

"However, before the application could be heard by the licensing sub-committee the premises licence was surrendered."

The Cumberland News

understands that some of the incidents which happened at the club are still under investigation.

However, there is some hope for the club's future as Mr Wilson has informed the council he has found someone interested in taking over the reins.

He said: "The police were saying this, that and the other.

"I was going to retire in September anyhow so I decided to give my licence in.

"Someone else is going to take it over to manage it for me."

A spokeswoman for Allerdale Council said: "Mr Wilson surrendered his premises licence to council officers on Wednesday, March 29.

"The licensing team had been working closely with him and with representatives from the police to try to resolve some problems but he made the decision to close.

"The social club cannot now operate as a licensed premises unless a new application for a licence is made."

The spokeswoman added: "Mr Wilson has contacted the council’s licensing team to say he has found someone who is interested in taking over the premises licence.

"If that application is received before 5pm on Wednesday, April 26, then the existing premises licence can be resurrected and the social club could reopen."

However, if that person does not have the required personal licence, they would be unable to serve alcohol and could only sell soft drinks, tea and coffee in the club. They could stage entertainment such as live music.

"Before alcohol could be served, they would have to apply to the council in the normal way for a personal licence in order to become the designated premises supervisor," the Allerdale spokeswoman continued.

"Any application would be subject to the normal checks and assessments by both council licensing officers and the police."

Sgt Atkinson added: "Cumbria Police is committed to ensure that all licensed premises are operated responsibly, safely and within the parameters of the law.

"Risks associated with licensed premises can vary depending upon the premises type and characteristics, the design, layout and general environment, the location, policies in place and events being held on premises."