Behaviour disgusts hotel manager

Bannockburn Hotel manager Tim Hanna, who has had his general manager's certificate and the hotel's on and off-licences suspended, says he is disgusted at the actions of young adults who want to "go out and get legless and pick a fight".

Cromwell police sought the suspensions on the grounds the hotel had breached three sections of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 by selling liquor to an intoxicated person, allowing a person to become intoxicated on the premises and allowing drunkeness or disorderly conduct and also on the grounds the manager had "failed to conduct the licensed premises in a proper manner".

The New Zealand Liquor Licensing Authority suspended the hotel's on and off-licences for 24 hours last Friday, and suspended Mr Hanna's general manager certificate for three weeks, from Monday, November 26.The hotel did not dispute the grounds for the application and agreed to the suspension.

In the decision, authority chairman Judge John Hole and member Judith Moorhead said following disturbances at the Bannockburn Hotel on August 3 and 13, police warned Mr Hanna that any further problems could result in a suspension of the premises' licence.

Cromwell police were called to a fight at the hotel on August 17 and had to call for back-up from Alexandra police. Mr Hanna closed the hotel early.

Police said the licensee had "significant difficulty" in controlling patrons.

Each of the incidents happened when a karaoke session was being held, the authority said.

Approached by the Otago Daily Times for comment yesterday, Mr Hanna said the hotel would no longer run karaoke evenings because they attracted "some of the wrong people".

"It's a shame, because it was rewarding and there was some real talent coming out, but what can you do if it was attracting the wrong element as well," he said.

A handful of young adults - people in their 20s, were the ones causing problems in the hotel.

"I think it's that whole culture of 'let's go out and get legless and pick a fight'. The level of behaviour of some of these people is disgusting and they need to grow up and take responsibility for themselves.

"The majority of the young people in Cromwell are great, but there's a few who spoil it," Mr Hanna said.

He was "disappointed" with the authority's decision but would not contest it.

On August 17, the hotel refused to serve and sent home about six people, he said.

"We were working very hard to keep things under control, and in fact it was us that called the police."

The hotel worked in with the majority of licensed premises in the wider Cromwell area to identify troublemakers. If someone was banned from one of those premises, they were unwelcome at the others, he said.