A pub has been closed after a man was fatally injured in an incident on the street outside.

 

Officers from Oldham council have revoked the licence of the Old Mess House, on Yorkshire Street, after it was the scene of 'several violent incidents'.

 

On March 15 25-year-old regular Andrew Molloy was found unconscious on the pavement immediately outside the town centre hostelry.

He had suffered severe head and neck injuries but died the following day.

 

A 22-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter.

 

A spokesman for Oldham council confirmed that the pub's licence had been suspended for an initial 28-day period following an 'urgent request' from Greater Manchester Police.

 

Chief Supt Tim Forber made the move 'after a number of incidents both inside and outside the premises in recent weeks'.

 

The final straw is thought to have been a further attack in the days after Mr Molloy's death which took place in the pub's toilets.

 

Licensing chiefs heard from representations from GMP and the licensee, Patrick Kelly, before making their decision.

 

They agreed the venue was associated with serious crime and deemed steps necessary 'to protect the public'.

 

A full review will be held within the next 28 days.

 

Oldham's licensing chief John Garforth said: “The premises will now remain closed until a further interim hearing takes place sometime next week.

 

“This has been requested by Mr Kelly to reconsider the evidence and what interim steps the licensing authority can take.

 

“A full hearing will then be held to determine the future of this licence on a date to be confirmed in mid April.”

 

Mark Alcock, from Oldham council, added: “There have been six incidents since February, with the latest being in the pub toilets. Action needed to be taken.”

Nobody from the pub was available for comment.

 

It refused to sign up to new licensing laws introduced by council chiefs in a bid to make the town centre safer after an M.E.N. investigation found one club was offering an 'all-you-can-drink' promotion for £5.99

.

Weekend revellers in Oldham will face security checks from police on Saturday night (27 March) in a bid to make the town centre safer.

 

Safety arches will be used on Yorkshire Street throughout the night to put a stop to people carrying weapons on nights out and extra officers will be on patrol to deter would-be troublemakers.

 

The crackdown is part of Operation Portcullis which last month saw 26 people arrested as officers raided homes across the borough, tracking down criminals suspected of drink-fuelled violence.