PUBS in Boston have been urged to call the emergency services to violent incidents after staff at a town centre bar left a seriously injured man to fend for himself.

Boston Borough Council's licensing sub-committee was told the man had to make his own way to the police station despite suffering a large loss of blood when he was 'glassed' at the Jolly Crispin in West Street.

Licensing officer PC Andy Heath said bar staff's lack of action could have had serious consequences as the man could have collapsed on the way to the police station.

Fortunately he made it to the station and was given medical assistance although the police investigation into the assault was hampered by the delay in officers finding out about it. PC Heath stated that old fashioned attitudes meant pubs were sometimes reluctant to call police for fear of getting a bad reputation.

But he said: "We are trying to educate staff at licensed premise that calling the police is not a bad thing.

"It is a lot better if they contact us at the time rather than us finding out later and having to pick up the pieces."

PC Heath revealed that during the investigation into the assault at the Jolly Crispin a number of "shortfalls" in security and first aid arrangements at the pub were uncovered.

These included an outdated CCTV system that had no method of recording footage and a lack of first aid trained staff.

Nigel Crowe, representing Jolly Crispin licence holder Maria Silva, admitted to councillors that "we did fail at the time" and said since the incident on December 16 the pub had started to address some of the police's concerns.

Committee members allowed Ms Silva to keep her alcohol licence but imposed a series of conditions on it.

Among these are that the Jolly Crispin must install a CCTV system meeting police guidelines, all staff must undergo first aid training and the pub has to have an incident log and report all incidents where damage or injury is caused to the authorities as soon as is practiable.