Brawls spark call for voluntary lockouts
Posted
There are calls for further action to restrict hotel trading hours in Maitland, after violent incidents near two local pubs.
Two police officers were injured and several people were arrested for taking part in a wild brawl near the Rutherford Hotel on Saturday night.
Police also responded to an assault near the Belmore Hotel early on Sunday morning.
It has prompted police to call for voluntary lockouts.
Maitland councillor Arch Humphrey says it is time to introduce similar measures to those in Newcastle's CBD.
"What we really need to do now is to turn around and say, 'look, that was a privilege, we're going to take away that privilege, you don't have that privilege any more, and as council support, maybe we should go back to a 12 o'clock lockout until they can behave themselves," he said.
