Picnic benches outside the Waterfront Fish Bar in Weston-super-Mare have been removed after police raised concerns that they could be used as weapons. The blue recycled plastic tables, purchased to withstand the windy seafront, were initially welcomed by the fish and chip shop. However, North Somerset Council, following police advice, denied permission to retain the tables on the pedestrianized section of Regent Street.
At a licensing hearing on September 2, police licensing officer Andy Manhire warned that outdoor furniture left out during late hours could be thrown or moved, posing danger to pedestrians and vehicles. The hearing was initially convened to discuss removing a license condition requiring tables to be packed away at night—since the new tables were too large to store indoors. Instead, councillors sided with police, ordering the tables to be removed entirely.
Waterfront Fish Bar owner Michelle Michael, who also owns the nearby Grand Pier, disputed the claims, emphasizing the tables’ substantial weight—about 100kg each—which made them unlikely to be throwable weapons. She highlighted a decade of operation without incidents involving their outdoor furniture. Additionally, she noted that lighter picnic tables are used without issue at nearby Bistrot Pierre, albeit on private property outside council jurisdiction.
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Police maintained that the Waterfront Fish Bar’s benches were located in an area frequented by intoxicated pedestrians, increasing the potential risk. Though removed from Regent Street, four of the picnic tables remain on the fish restaurant’s adjacent private outdoor space along Marine Parade, where council control does not extend.