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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Tom Houghton

'Serious, violent assault' at Wirral bar came after underage guests were allowed in

Underage people being allowed into a Wirral bar resulted in a "serious, violent assault", Merseyside Police have said.

The force has called for a council review into the licence held by Paradox in Heswall .

The club has been told it did not take "reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children", and "exposed [them] to an unsafe environment".

The move comes after a recent incident at the venue on Pensby Road, which is also a bar and restaurant. Wirral Council 's licensing committee could revoke or suspend the licence when it meets next week.

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The report , to be discussed when councillors meet on May 22, said: "An application has been received from Merseyside Police to review the Premises Licence for the premises known as Paradox.

"The grounds for review are in relation to underage persons being allowed onto the premises which has resulted in a serious violent assault."

Referring to a representation made by the council's safeguarding children board, it added: "[This] supports the application to review the premises licence as it is their view that these premises have not taken reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children and have exposed children to an unsafe environment."

It said a further representation from the council's licensing department supported the application.

Further details about the incident in question are as yet unknown.

According to the council documents, Paradox's current licence allows it to open until 1.30am between Sundays and Thursdays, and 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

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On its website, the venue describes itself as "Heswall's brand new restobar".

It says it's "dedicated to offer fantastic service, fabulous fresh food in our restaurant and a choice of exciting drinks in our stylish bar lounge".

The site adds: "When evening turns to night the lights go down, the music goes up and the party begins so why not stay and enjoy the great atmosphere until late.

"Quirky phrases and unique wall art is all around you, our concept is to stimulate the mind with paradoxical ideas that can only add to the fun of your evening."

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When the council's licensing act 2003 sub-committee meets next week, it will have the option to modify the conditions of the licence, exclude licensable activity from the scope of the licence, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months, or revoke it altogether.

A spokesperson from Paradox said: "Four years since we opened our doors at Paradox this family run business has established a great customer base. 2019 has been our best year to date with our new a la carte menu proving more popular than ever. Casual dining and cocktails especially on weekends give the venue a welcoming ambiance and we have some exciting new ideas in the pipe line which we can’t wait to implement.

"We are proud to say our second floor terrace is currently undergoing a major redesign and our popular function suite is also having a modern summer makeover.

"With regards to licensing we have now installed a state of the art ID scanner which gives us 100% confidence and knowledge of who is in our venue. Moreover we believe our new acquisition will act as a deterrent to keep ‘under aged drinkers’ out of Heswall. We will continue to co operate fully with both the Licensing authorities and Merseyside Police to ensure Paradox remains an excellent and versatile venue for all of our customers to enjoy."

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