A WIRRAL venue once threatened with violence by a man armed with a snooker ball in a sock is being turned into a new burger restaurant.

The Burger Laboratory, which is currently based in Neston, is looking to move into what was once Sue’s Bar in Birkenhead.

Burger Laboratory Limited has applied for a premises licence for 25 Argyle Street in Birkenhead which is up for a councillor decision on August 14.

They have asked to be open and sell alcohol with meals from 12pm to 11pm as they look to open up a second branch alongside its restaurant in Neston.

After a series of incidents including fights and alleged drug taking, Merseyside Police recommended to Wirral Council, Sue’s Bar should be stripped of its premises licence. A licensing hearing held in September 2023 heard evidence from officers how 16 incidents had been recorded around the premises in a 12 month period.

One of these incidents on September 4, 2022 involved a 999 call made by a staff member that “an aggressive drunken male threatened to smash the pub up” swinging snooker balls in a sock around. There were alleged spiking incidents and fights, including one outside the bar, that resulted in a man’s arm being broken in three places.

The bar’s licence to trade was later pulled though its manager disputed a number of the claims put forward about the bar and its management of antisocial behaviour and crime.

Susan McIlroy told the LDRS she was planning to close Sue’s Bar anyway, adding: “32 years of running pubs and we get no help from police and licensing. I am glad to be gone.”

However, the former bar looks set to change into a new restaurant following Burger Laboratory’s success at its Neston venue which opened in January this year. The new move follows a number of new ventures on Argyle Street in recent years from live music venue Future Yard as well as a new headquarters for Make CIC.

Wirral Council is also promising to transform Argyle Street with its plans for a new neighbourhood along an abandoned train line that cuts through central Birkenhead. Called the Dock Branch neighbourhood, the council hopes to make the area “an appealing destination to live, work and visit” with “an attractive and regionally distinctive housing offer.”

Burger Laboratory, according to its Facebook page for its Neston restaurant, offers a “relaxed environment” and “the best street food that we can deliver.” It also has a 100% recommendation from 36 customers who praised “really friendly” staff and “the atmosphere was great with music and fantastic food and the best service.”

Based on its website, new customers can expect to see chicken and beef burgers, boa buns, popcorn chicken, loaded fries, nachos, gyros wraps, and desserts like cookies and chocolate fudge cake to be on the menu. During the summer holidays at certain times, its Neston restaurant offers free meals for children with every adult meal purchased.

Following discussions with Merseyside Police and Trading Standards, the restaurant has agreed to a number of conditions including CCTV coverage, staff training, Challenge 25 training, incident books, and that staff “will be vigilant and monitor the area immediately outside the shop to check that youths do not cause annoyance by congregating.”

However, concerns have been raised by four people living nearby as well as Birkenhead councillor Amanda Onwuemene “who has concerns with the application due to a history within the vicinity of the premises of disorderly behaviour and drug dealing.”

The council also had to revoke a licence for the Monkey’s Nuts pub on nearby Market Street after issues there.

Other concerns raised “concerns of noise nuisance being caused from music, both live and recorded, emanating from the premises, anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder, waste management and parking issues that may be caused from customers of the premises.”