TWO Colne Valley pubs face licence fights after allegations of robbery, fighting and underage drinking.

Councillors will decide next week whether to punish the Shoulder of Mutton in Slaithwaite and the Coach and Horses in Linthwaite following police investigations.

Pc Richard Farrand has asked Kirklees Council to review the licence of the Slaithwaite pub following a “noticeable increase in violent crime in and around the premises”.

The police officer described how “several masked men” entered the Shoulder of Mutton at 2am on January 21, while seven customers were taking part in a lock-in.

Pc Farrand wrote: “They threatened all the men with violence, making demands for them to hand over personal property. Then their hands and feet were tied with electrical cable.

“A female was located upstairs in the living room and also tied up with the other victims. A man calling himself the landlord was dragged downstairs and beaten in an attempt to locate a safe.

“The gaming machines were also attacked and money stolen.”

Pc Farrand added that investigating officers were unable to view any CCTV of the incident because the pub had not replaced cameras stolen a fortnight earlier.

The officer listed several other incidents at the Church Street venue, including:

Police visited the Shoulder of Mutton at 2am on January 15, 2011 – 90 minutes after the pub was supposed to have stopped serving. They found “20 people inside consuming alcohol” and “a strong smell of tobacco smoke”.

A female customer was assaulted by another woman as she left the pub at 2am on January 29, 2011. The victim suffered “cuts and swelling to her forehead”.

On April 10, 2011 a male drinker was punched several times in the face by another customer. Both men were “heavily in drink” at the time.

A drinker smashed a beer glass into the face of a man who was walking past the pub on September 30, 2011.

Pc Farrand has asked councillors to revoke the licence of pub company Punch Taverns.

He wrote: “The same problems are present at the Shoulder of Mutton in January 2012 as in January 2011 – a disregard for opening hours, acts of violence and breaches of the premises licence.

“The police therefore feel that Punch Taverns no longer deserves to have the privilege of holding a premises licence for the Shoulder of Mutton and ask that the licence is revoked.”

The Examiner contacted Punch Taverns yesterday for a comment. A spokesman said: "The pub is now being run by new licensees and opening hours have been reduced. We are trying to work with licensees to ensure there are no further issues."

The council’s Licensing Panel will rule on the issue at a meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall from 11.30am on Monday.

On the same day, the panel will also consider whether to punish the Coach and Horses in Linthwaite after staff were caught selling alcohol to children twice in three months.

According to Pc Richard Woodhead, officers sent a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old volunteer into the Manchester Road pub on November 12, 2011.

“They were served twoWKD Blue alcopops,” he wrote.

The pub failed a similar operation on January 27 when a member of staff served alcohol to children aged 14 and 15.

Pc Woodhead has asked councillors to impose new licence conditions, including banning children from the pub, installing CCTV and training staff about under-age sales.

Landlord David Whitham has written to Kirklees about the matter.

“During my 14 years in the pub I have built a friendly family environment and have regular customers that have been coming in the pub since my takeover,” he wrote.

Mr Whitham added that his staff “have built up very strong relationships with the local customers”.

His daughter Kerri Whitham has written to Kirklees backing her father.

She wrote: “I am amazed at what you have done to my family.

“My father is now under a lot of stress which you have caused by the entrapment of his staff.”

Pub regulars have also written to Kirklees backing the Coach and Horses.

Dawn Robinson wrote: “Mr Whitham works extremely hard trying to make an honest living in a difficult financial climate and I would have no hesitation in commending him to you as a man of utmost integrity.”

Coach and Horses FC secretary Anthony Hunter wrote that losing the pub “would be a massive setback for the football team”.

The Examiner contacted Mr Whitham for a comment. None was forthcoming.

The Licensing Panel will consider the matter at 10am on Monday.