A group of males are said to have arrived with metal poles
18:30, 25 Sep 2025Updated 18:35, 25 Sep 2025
The Seaforth Arms Hotel in 2019(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)
Shouts of “get the lads” were heard after a brawl broke out in the street during a lock in at a Merseyside pub. Those ‘lads’ are said to have turned up armed with metal poles and started throwing bottles at people, resulting in the alleged assault of four people.
These are just some of the allegations included in a fast-tracked licensing hearing on Wednesday (September 24) concerning the Seaforth Arms Public House in Seaforth. According to a document submitted to that hearing and seen by the Liverpool ECHO, Merseyside Police received a call from an anonymous member of the public at 03.50 hours on September 21, reporting a group of females had spilled out of the pub and started fighting.
The report stated: “One is allegedly heard to say, “get the lads” and a short time later a group of males arrive, throwing bottles at people and armed with metal poles that they subsequently used to assault four people.
“A number of people suffered head injuries, with one female found slightly away from the premises, unconscious and fitting. Three further females were located with various levels of head injury.
“A number of parties required hospital treatment, one remained sedated after the incident. One victim being 16 years old and one being 17. With one of the arrested parties being 15 years of age.
“Some of the parties involved have links to a local organised crime group.”
Merseyside Police confirmed it has arrested three people following a reported fight in Seaforth. According to police, emergency services attended the scene and three males aged 19, 21 and 15 were arrested on suspicion of affray. They have since been conditionally bailed pending further inquiries.
A woman aged in her 40s, a man aged in his 40s and a 16-year-old girl were taken to hospital for various injuries. They have all been discharged.
The Seaforth Arms’ was licensed to sell alcohol until 01.00 hours on the night in question with public hours being until 02.00 hours. According to the report the last sale of alcohol is captured on CCTV at 03.16 hours.
It added: “The initial violence begins in the pub, and quickly spills into the street with nearly everyone going outside to either see what’s happening or join in. No one from the premises is known to have called the police.”
The report continued: “Had this premises closed at the correct time, this incident may never have occurred, we have checked our records and no temporary event notice (TEN) was in place and there is no reason why this premises was open and operating at that time.
“At this moment in time the motive for the disorder and assaults is yet to be established and as such we believe that there is a risk that there will be further acts of retaliation in response to these incidents or that further acts of violence will occur at the premises.
“The timescales involved in a standard review would not address the police concerns in relation to the threat to public safety at these premises quickly enough, given the serious nature of the allegations and any further risk at the location to public safety.”
As a result of the incident on September 24, the LDRS understands there was a Section 53A Interim Review Application (S.53A) requested by Merseyside Police for the Seaforth Arms Public House. According to the Licensing Act 2003, a S.53A allows a senior police officer to apply for a fast track review of a premises licence if they consider the premises to be ‘associated with serious crime or serious disorder’.
The application triggers a process where the licensing authority must, within 48 hours, consider imposing interim steps, such as a temporary suspension, to address the situation while a full review is conducted within 28 days.
The ECHO also understands the S.53A review took place on Wednesday (September 24) where it was decided to suspend the Seaforth Arms’ premises licence pending a full hearing on October at which time all parties will be called before the Licensing Sub committee to state their cases.
Detective Inspector Sara Lang said: “We believe this incident involved a group of people who all knew each other.
“Our inquiries are ongoing and we’ve arrested three people in connection with the incident.
“If you have any information or witnessed what happened, please come forward as it could assist our inquiries.”
If you have any information, you can call 101 or DM @MerPolCC on social media, quoting reference number 25000780025. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.