Wolverhampton bar and grill facing review after several incidents – including kidnapping

City of Wolverhampton Council will be reviewing the late-night licence for the Triangle Bar and Grill in Bank Street, Bradley, following several complaints and concerns from West Midlands Police.

The council was drawn to two incidents in December last year following a tip-off – one of which police later confirmed was an alleged kidnapping and another which saw fighting outside the venue resulting in its glass entrance being smashed.

The venue had also failed some basic safety measures and had been found to be employing an illegal worker in 2023 after an inspection by the Home Office.

West Midlands Police said it was investigating the kidnapping outside the venue on December 14 last year after a woman was alleged to have been carried from the venue by a man into a car.

At the time of the incident, the force said six bystanders were questioned but unwilling to provide details to officers.

CCTV of the incident could not be provided to police for an ‘unknown reason’, a senior detective said.

An incident a week later saw three people kicked out by the owner in the early hours only for one to return and smash the venue’s glass entrance.

Complaints to the council had said the vandalism had been preceded by ‘fighting in the street’.

A report published ahead of next week’s hearing shows a catalogue of complaints against the venue dating back to 2020 with several neighbours saying they were at their wits’ end from years of enduring drinking and fighting in the streets, broken glass, shouting, arguing and loud music until the early hours and cars blocking pavements and driveways.

The complaints said the problems were “no longer isolated incidents and were “becoming the norm.”

One redacted complaint made to the council said: “Most weekends there is fighting in the streets, usually quite late. We have to clean up vomit from by our gates frequently.

“The customers park across my gates and usually there are large vans in front of the house all weekend. You will see broken glasses outside on pavement which no one from the club cleans up. The amount of rubbish all round the premises is a disgrace.”

A fire safety inspection also found there was no risk assessment in place for the venue, fire alarms and emergency lightning needed servicing and alarm triggers and fire safety instructions needed to be put in place.

West Midlands Fire Service also said the venue needed a fire door and fire exit signs above an ‘out of use’ door needed to be removed.

Mr Multani was also fined £10,000 last year after the Home Office found he was employing an illegal worker in his kitchen.

Police and immigration officials visited Bank Street in February 2023 to find a worker had overstayed his visa.

When questioned, Mr Multani said the illegal worker, whose two-year student visa expired in 2012, was not being paid as he was ‘on trial’.

During an inspection at the beginning of the year, council staff found the venue had breached the fire safety conditions of its licence and the owner was unable to provide CCTV for the previous 30 days as is compulsory.

The layout of the venue had also been altered without permission.

Council staff returned later that month only to find the issues had not been resolved.

The council said it was also concerned the designated supervisor Abinash Singh Multani, who is supposed to be responsible for the day-to-day management of the bar and grill, was “rarely at the venue.”

The council’s licensing committee meets on June 5 for the review.

Council officers have recommended the venue’s licence is suspended for a month.

The current licence, issued by City of Wolverhampton Council in 2020, allows the bar and grill to open from 8am to 3.30am every day.

City of Wolverhampton Council said several applications had been made to change the licence but were incomplete and rejected.

A completed application to vary the licence, with a new Continental Food House name, was made earlier this month.

This included cutting the opening hours to 2am.