Police defend seeking licence review after student horror

The 18-year-old student was hit by a double-deck bus on Glossop Road shortly after leaving the “Christmas Day” event at Bar One, within Sheffield University’s students’ union.

She was left with a punctured lung and head injuries after being hit by the bus at 5.15pm on Wednesday, December 14, and is said to now be making an “excellent recovery” at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

On Wednesday, January 4, Sheffield Council’s licensing board decided to take no action against Bar One, which had been running drinks promotions since 10am that morning.

The licensing committee heard from Superintendent Martin Hemingway on behalf of South Yorkshire Police, who also presented a video which showed a compilation of events between 10am and 6pm at the premises during the event on that day.

Mr Hemingway said: “It is clear that the university authorities and the staff running Bar One take their responsibilities seriously and have reacted very positively to the events of December 14.

“I am very pleased that they will be involving the police and the city council licensing committee in their own reviews and look forward to working with them to improve matters.

“I am surprised that the committee found no link between the events on the day and a drinks promotion starting so early, but they considered the matter seriously and that is their view.”

Reacting to critical comments from the licensing committee’s chairman on the suitability of bringing the review, Mr Hemingway added: “It is the responsibility of the police to stand up and be counted when we think that something is wrong and that is what we have done in this case.

“We will take on board what the committee have said, as we always expect others to do, but we will continue to act positively and courageously in challenging circumstances just as the public would expect us to do.”

Police have also been seeking a man who is said to have given first aid to the first-year student before the emergency services arrived.