Police raise fears over late night fight show

The Village Urban Resort on East Park Drive (formerly the De Vere Hotel) wants to screen the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao which is being broadcast live from Las Vegas this weekend.

An application has been submitted to Blackpool Council for a temporary events notice to enable the hotel to sell alcohol between 11pm on Saturday until 7am on Sunday while people watch the fight, which will be in the early hours of the morning UK time.

But Blackpool Police have objected to the application on the grounds it could increase the risk of rowdy behaviour.

The police also objected when Amber Taverns applied for similar late licences for three of its Blackpool pubs to show the fight, and the pub company later withdrew the application.

In its submission to the council, Village Urban Resort says the event will be limited to the Victory Bar in the hotel and will be monitored.

The submission adds the hotel wants “to cater for non residents attending the premises to watch the world fight series/ championship boxing promotion ending with a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.”

A licensing hearing is set for 10am on Wednesday.

Boxing coverage risks ‘drunkeness’

PC Ben Reynolds, of Blackpool Police, said in his objection to the application that “boxing and wrestling matches increase the risk of crime and disorder due to the high-adrenaline nature of the sport.”

He added that this coupled with the supply of alcohol and the late hour of the coverage “causes great concern for the constabulary” due to the risk of drunkeness and noise nuisance complaints.