Chairman of Chester Pubwatch and secretary of the Licensed Victuallers Association Frank Marnell is backing the racecourse over its unpopular decision to ban people from taking their own alcohol on the open course.

Frank Marnell, landlord of The Watergate Inn, next door to the racecourse, knows people will assume he is taking the Race Company’s side because his business benefits from their success but points out he has never been shy to criticise them in the past.

Race-goers who use the open course have blasted the Race Company and Cheshire Constabulary on social media because they feel wrongly targeted as the source of anti-social behaviour but Mr Marnell understands there were recent problems from a minority in that area when police were also “stretched”.

Not the racecourse's fault

He said: “I feel sorry for the racecourse on this particular occasion because they are being blamed for stopping the alcohol going on to the centre of the course and at end of the day the people responsible for the alcohol being stopped are the ones who go on there and don’t behave. We are talking about a minority who have spoiled it for everybody else.”

Mr Marnell, who is assistant secretary of National Pubwatch, accepts the Race Company could have been more open about the reasons for introducing the ban. But he rejects the assumption the Race Company is profiteering saying the pitch fees paid by independent alcohol vendors would have been agreed well in advance. The Race Company was actually worried about facing a review of its licence had it not taken action.

“This is about due diligence and addressing a potential public safety hazard. This is about putting plans in place to make sure nobody gets hurts,” explained Mr Marnell, who acknowledges he and other licensees have a vested interest in Chester races continuing to attract large numbers.

“I would encourage people to wander around town on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening at say 9pm and see how many premises have got more than six customers. The races bring in the revenue to keep us going through the months when we are not taking anything.”

Facebook boycott page

There has been criticism on the Boycotting Chester Race Facebook page about the way police handled last Saturday’s race meeting, when the booze ban was introduced, with claims police were the ones searching people’s bags and that they were confiscating unopened alcohol in the street outside the races. This is categorically denied.

Police spokesman Daniel Hinde said: “I have spoken to the Superintendent who was at the gates during the races and he has confirmed that officers were not seizing alcohol. Officers at the gate did advise members of the public that were carrying alcohol that they would not be able to enter due to new rules. There were also large bins at the gates where members of the public could dispose of any alcohol - or alternatively they could take it away with them - but at no point did officers seize the alcohol.”

He added: “Nuns Road was not closed to pedestrians during the races, however the road was used by officers conducting drugs searches on people entering the race course, which may have caused some disruption to pedestrians in the area.”