A DEAN Street nightspot senior manager has come within centimetres of being seriously injured on another unruly night of Anzac Day commemorations in Albury.
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Zed Bar licensee Brian Grenfell yesterday revealed CCTV footage showing a woman aged in her late 20s almost striking a senior manager to the back of his head with a metal bollard from the front of the pub.
The manager had his back turned when he was hit on the shoulder.
About the same time, footage also shows a man from the same group, who had been ejected by security staff minutes earlier, kicking in a front window of the premises.
Police arrived at the Zed Bar less than 15 minutes later and are investigating the incidents.
EDITORIAL: Day not for drunkards
Mr Grenfell said Anzac Day had become one of the most troublesome days for pubs and clubs and people were dishonouring the day’s significance by consuming large amounts of alcohol.
“It is not a product you can continually drink,” he said.
“We don’t know how long this group had been drinking, but let’s say they had been going from midday to 10pm.
“It would be like someone coming out at 9pm and drinking until 6am or 7am in the morning.
“It is only going to end in drama.”
Mr Grenfell said pubs and clubs had a role to play in changing attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol on Anzac Day, including a crackdown on the sale of discounted liquor on the day.
But patrons primarily had to take responsibility for their actions.
“The consumer has to be at the forefront,” he said.
“If they want days like this to socialise they have got to start respecting it.
“If they don’t they will lose it.
“It has been going on for years and if people think this is just a one-off, they are crazy.”
He said night spots were increasingly under scrutiny from authorities looking for reasons to introduce tighter controls on the sale of alcohol.
“The people who come out are the ones who dictate what will happen,” he said.
Albury police confirmed they were investigating an assault at the Zed Bar about 10.30pm.
“A brawl broke out in the premises and a number of people walked outside,” Albury police Inspector Lynelle Rodwell said.
“A male person has kicked and smashed a front window of the premises.
“A female has picked up a bollard and struck an employee of the premises on the arm.”
Any person with information is asked to call Albury police on (02) 6023 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.