A TOWN centre bar is set to have its licence reviewed after being accused of serving alcohol to customers without substantial meals when strict coronavirus rules were in place last year.

Police and council enforcement officers went to The Bar on Nelson Square on October 30 last year, seven days after Greater Manchester was put in the government's coronavirus alert level of "very high".

The alert level the region was placed in meant pubs and restaurants could not open unless they served a "substantial" meal and that they could only offer alcohol with such food.

But the head of regulatory services at the council raised concerns on October 29, the day prior to the joint visit, after watching body-cam of the venue the weekend before, which fell on October 24 and 25.

The head said: "I have been reviewing body-cam footage from last weekend's activities (licensed premises observations).

"It is clear from the footage that the proprietors of these licensed premises demonstrated blatant disregard to the rules and intentionally allowed customers to purchase alcohol without a substantial meal.

"The explanations offered for allowing this situation to take place were simply unsatisfactory.

“Can someone from licensing enforcement make contact with each premises owner/manager and make it clear that any recurrence of such activity will result in enforcement being taken (£1,000 fixed penalty notice fine).”

Following the concerns being recorded, police and the council returned to The Bar on Saturday, October 31 and licensing enforcement officers said they "witnessed very limited food on the tables".

"Alcohol was also being provided to customers where it was not served only with a table meal", the head reported.

The council has now issued an application for the review of Nelson Square Leisure LTD's premises licence for The Bar, stating that it has "seriously undermined” two licensing objectives, the prevention of crime and disorder, and public safety.

The head added: "I submit that the manner in which the premises have been managed, allowing the consumption of alcohol not only with a table meal, falls short of what is expected from a licensee in promoting the licensing objectives."

The Bar said its legal team is investigating the matter.