Live music spot in Biggleswade must buy ID scanner to avoid losing licence over under age drinking concerns and disorderly behaviour

The ID equipment is expected to cost The Venue in High Street several thousand pounds, Central Bedfordshire Council’s licensing sub-committee was told.

Its owner Maurice Komolafe told the hearing: “We take our licensing objectives very seriously.”

The Venue’s current licence authorises the sale of alcohol on the premises, live and recorded music, late night refreshment (with the sale or supply of hot food) and entertainment similar to music or dance, from 11am until 3.30am, seven days a week.

Bedfordshire Police licensing officer Nicola Guy referred to the force’s initial licence review application for The Venue submitted in April, seeking revocation of its licence.

“The licence holder has worked on improving and rectifying many of our original concerns, since then,” she explained. “We remain extremely concerned about the entry of those people under age and potentially the sale of alcohol to them.

“We’d like to revise our request from licence revocation to an amendment to the current conditions. This would require an extra condition that the premises must have an ID scanner, capable of keeping records and identifying fake IDs.

“We mentioned (previously) the owner purchasing an ID scanner, but this request was rejected. The ID scanner’s use should be covered by CCTV. This will significantly reduce the risk of people getting in with no ID or fake ID.

“That does have a financial impact on the premises. But it’s proportionate and necessary for the licensing laws to be upheld moving forward.”

Owner of The Venue Mr Komolafe denied rejecting the police request for ID scanners, saying: “All the venues have been given them in Northampton.

“If that scheme is here in Bedfordshire, we’d love to have it. But currently it’s adding extra costs when venues like ours, as well as pubs and restaurants, are shutting down at alarming rates.

“No security is 100 per cent. For us to start spending thousands of pounds on ID scanners, when even the police say it’s only used in problematic areas, such as Luton. Biggleswade isn’t a bad place.

“We had to change our security altogether, based on feedback. Things have been much better since we brought the new team in last summer. The police have never given any advice at all since we started. We only get information from the Pubwatch group.

“We take our licensing objectives very seriously. We do everything possible to make sure these things don’t happen. If they occur, then we take immediate action to deal with the matter. That’s our responsibility.”

Conservative Northill councillor Paul Daniels, who chaired the sub-committee, said: “The premises licensing conditions are to be modified to include an extra condition.

“The use of an ID scanner must be implemented at point of entry to The Venue between 9pm and 3.30am. An incident log will be maintained and kept on the premises.

“This decision is subject to appeal to the magistrates court within 21 days.”