Dunedin bar Dropkicks could lose its liquor licence after locking drunk person in bathroom overnight

A Dunedin bar could lose its liquor licence after a drunk patron was locked in at the end of the night and later taken to hospital.

Dropkicks was granted a temporary authority to sell alcohol in February, but the chief licensing inspector has since raised concerns about the way the venue was being managed including concerns of overcrowding and a lack of systems, training and staff.

The district licensing committee will consider whether to revoke the temporary on-licence authority held by Femme Enterprises Limited at a hearing on Tuesday.

A report said the patron, who was in a toilet stall, was locked in after staff failed to properly check the venue before leaving last month.

It was only when the person realised they were stuck and contacted friends who then called the police that they were found "extremely intoxicated" and transported to hospital.

Report author Kevin Mechen said the chief licensing inspector asked the committee to reconsider if the company should be allowed to sell alcohol.

"This is an unusual situation where the suitability of the holder of a temporary authority is questioned before the application for a substantive licence has been received," he said.

No concerns were raised when the temporary authority was granted - covering from February 11 to May 11 - ahead of the University of Otago's Orientation Week.

But that changed after the venue started operating with concerns including overcrowding, the lack of CCTV at the premises, poor communication between Femme Enterprises Limited and various council departments, and an association with an external event provider who advertised bar tab giveaways.

But Mechen said those concerns were overshadowed by the April 3 lock in.

He confirmed that the parties involved would have an opportunity to present their positions to the committee at Tuesday's hearing.

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