Published: Wednesday, 23rd June, 2010 4:43pm

Pub loses licence

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By Ewan McInnes

A NOTORIOUS Barrhead pub has had its licence suspended after a riot broke out following an Old Firm game.

Bar 51 will be closed for at least six weeks after the short-term suspension was dished out by the council's licensing board last week.

The pub, which is situated on Cross Arthurlie Street, has been shut as punishment for the 50-man brawl that took place just hours after the Celtic v Rangers football match in March - as exclusively revealed in the Barrhead News.

A half-hour battle culminated with one man allegedly being stabbed in the back in a row over money.

And a number of people were arrested and issued with fixed penaltie for public disorder.

East Renfrewshire Council has decided to punish the pub's tenant after studying CCTV footage from the bar which allegedly showed several customers repeatedly punch, kick and stamp on a 25-year-old man and then stab him in the back.

In the days following the riot, fresh footage showed the sickening violence which took place within the bar, including the injured man being dragged to the floor and repeatedly assaulted.

The man was then seen on film being carried from Bar 51 to a waiting ambulance by the paramedics who had been called upon by cops.

A council spokesman revealed that the licensing board had no option but to suspend the bar's licence.

He said: "The board has acted on advice and evidence and suspended the Bar 51 licence for six weeks.

"Not only did we receive reports on incidents at the bar, but we had CCTV evidence from the premises itself and our own council-run CCTV unit that very clearly showed what went on to warrant suspension."

The infamous boozer, owned by Iona Pub Partnerships (IPP), is the area's third pub in recent months to have its licence targeted by cops.

Last week 50 cops raided Barrhead drinking den Rumours, just yards from Bar 51 on the same street, in an attempt to nail a suspected local drug baron.

Cops failed to find anything incriminating but were convinced their strong show of force has re-emphasised their major crackdown on organised crime in Barrhead.

And the Cavendish Bar, in Nitshill, recently had its doors closed after Neilston man John McCarron allegedly murdered William Auld there.

As a result of the incident the premises were secured as a crime scene and when cops carried out a search they allegedly found 25 weapons within the pub.

After Mr Auld's death the Cavendish Bar, also owned by the IPP, was the first pub in Glasgow to have its licence suspended for a year under new legislation by Glasgow City Council.

A spokesman for IPP declined to comment on the story and the tenant of Bar 51 was unavailable.