POLICE have objected to a plan to place tables and chairs outside a city pub next to a busy road over safety concerns.

West Mercia Police raised concerns about a plan to place three tables and nine chairs outside the Ye Olde Talbot pub in Friar Street because of the potential for the footpath to become crowded and lack of CCTV in the area.

Police said the risk of crime and disorder in the area was already high because of the number of neighbouring pubs, bars and restaurants.

Sergeant Paul Smith from West Mercia Police said an unsupervised outside seating area would increase the risk of crime and was concerned the pub could not prevent underage drinking.

He said: “Should this application be accepted, then unsupervised alcohol will be freely available within a location where there is a current impact zone which has been put in place to prevent crime and disorder, promote public safety, prevent public nuisance and to protect children from harm.

“The proposed area is not currently covered by CCTV.

“Police have consulted with the manager of the premises and he has stated that there are no plans to install CCTV and he does not have the capacity to proactively monitor or manage the area. He is therefore unable to meet his obligations, predominately the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm.

“There is no consideration in the application as to how the new area will operate and uphold its challenge 25 policy or safeguard the potential for underage usage.

“This location already attracts a high volume of young people, particularly at the weekend, due to the proximity of the cinema and popular food outlets who now have the potential to be exposed to further anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder with the availability and accessibility to unsupervised alcohol sales in an external area.

“An unsupervised, external seated area, created predominantly for the consumption of alcohol will likely lead to crowding, with the high possibility of ‘spill over’ into undesignated areas of the pavement, and with it, the increased risk of crime against the person, or property and increased risk to public safety.

Greene King was unable to comment before the Worcester News went to print.

Worcester City Council's licensing subcommittee meets at 1pm in the Guildhall on Friday, October 25.