Brighton’s oldest gay bar ‘up for sale’ after police licensing woes
Brighton’s oldest gay bar is on the market after police called for its license to be revoked.
The Bulldog has been running as a gay bar in the city for over 35 years, serving the city’s thriving LGBT community.
It this month has been listed for sale by estate agent Sidney Phillips – with a £1,100,000 freehold asking price.
The listing notes it is a “Substantial 4-storey property located in bustling area Brighton”, and a “Well-known late night venue [with] scope to increase thriving trade”.
The Bulldog’s current owner Dean Holmes told local newspaper The Argus that the listing comes after a Sussex Police review said the venue should lose its 24-hour license after a string of incidents.
Under the new licensing conditions, the venue was ordered to operate a breathalyser entry system, install CCTV in the toilets, switch to plastic cups, and hire more bouncers.
Mr Holmes told The Argus: “I deeply regret that I have had to put my business up for sale after running a highly successful gay business for nearly 20 years.
“The outcome of the recent police review has severely damaged my reputation and respect in the gay community.
“I suffered months of bad press and damaged my own reputation in a desperate attempt to save my threatened licence.
“I imposed extremely strict methods on my regular customers upsetting so many who used to enjoy the Bulldog’s facilities on a daily and weekly basis.
“I am confident that under new ownership the Bulldog can regain respect from its lost customers and thrive again as one of the longest running gay bars in the UK.”
