The owners of an Oakham bar say they were unfairly targeted through a recent licencing hearing held by Rutland Council, with the process causing them immense stress, financial loss and reputational damage. 

Father and daughter John and Natasha Woods have owned and run Jinky's Bar in Oakham for the last 17 years and say they have prided themselves on being a safe, family-friendly establishment that represents the heart of the town's community. 

At a licencing committee meeting held in September, John was stripped of his licence following health and safety concerns, including electrical faults, trip hazards and unsupervised children behind the bar. 

At a subsequent hearing in October, John and Natasha felt they were not given a fair opportunity to defend themselves, with none of their statements recorded for the meeting's minutes.  

John said: "We barely got the chance to speak and when we did, they wouldn't let us say what we wanted to.  

"We basically sat there for three hours listening to them talk about us." 

They also believe their evidence was not handled fairly or viewed in full during the course of the hearing. 

John and Natasha said that while Jinky's has it's unique look that people might not like, it is not an unsafe place. (Photo: Jinky's)

In March, an incident at Jinky's Bar resulted in a man dying on the premises. A police investigation concluded the death was not suspicious and the bar was not at fault. 

Despite it not being deemed their fault, says Natasha, the incident was still used in evidence against them in the hearing.  

This included CCTV footage from the incident that was seized by police and held by the health Officer until the trial. During this time, John and Natasha were unable to view the footage, with claims from the council that it could not be copied due to the formatting.

Natasha made multiple requests to the council to be able to see the footage before the hearing, explaining that "for us to defend ourselves, we need to see the footage". 

The council did not make the footage visible to the owners until just an hour before the start of the hearing. 

Recounting this experience, both John and Natasha described viewing the footage as "traumatic" and "deeply upsetting", made worse by the immediate continuation of questioning.  

"We were barely given time to process," said Natasha. 

"Bear in mind," said John, "I was the one that found the dead body and when it popped up on the screen, it really knocked me for six. I thought it was quite cruel of them to do that actually." 

Throughout the investigation, John and Natasha feel as though they have been unfairly targeted by the council.  

They believe that they have been scrutinised and punished for issues that they claim many other local pubs have and are allowed to get away with.  

They said they were being put under a microscope for issues other pubs also had but are not being penalised for.  

In September, Natasha submitted a freedom of information request to Leicestershire Police asking for data regarding how many times police had to attend following a reported disturbance at six Oakham pubs including Jinky's. 

The evidence – seen by Nub News - showed that Jinky's was the only pub that had not been attended by the police in six years until the incident in March that was deemed not their fault.  

Other local pubs, which share issues with Jinky's such as open fires, trip hazards and other characteristics shared by old buildings, have a considerably higher crime rate, with one venue being attended by the police over 170 times since 2016. 

John wanted to use this evidence to show they operate a safe and well-run establishment, but the evidence was not allowed in the hearing.  

"We just wanted to show that we are a good place," he said. 

The owners also say they have experienced immense reputational damage following the investigation.  

Speaking about the recent public response, Natasha said: "People now think we're the worst pub in Oakham and its people that have never been here, that don't know us, and it's really damaged us. 

"One woman that has never been in here commented online saying 'oh it looks like a crack den, it gives me crack den vibes' and when people are putting out comments like that, other people read them and think that of us and it's just not true at all.  

"We're a family pub and a community pub and that's what people should be seeing about us." 

Going forward, John and Natasha are hoping to continue growing their business despite the difficulties they have faced this year and want more footfall to come through their doors.  

They are also hoping to open their kitchen for food in the future. 

Rutland County Council was approached by Nub News for comment, following the claims made by Jinky's owners.

"Following consideration of all representations submitted at the hearing on behalf of all parties, including the licensee, committee members decided to remove John Woods as the designated premises supervisor, to be replaced with an individual to be named by the new licensee, Natasha Woods," the statement said.  

"The committee also imposed further conditions on the license to promote the licensing objectives." 

Jinky's bar is now proceeding with legal action against the council.