Man Arrested After Knife Incident at The Auld Dubliner, Formby Village

There was a large police presence in Formby Village on Monday evening, 20th October, following an incident that began at several venues before ending near The Auld Dubliner pub on Chapel Lane.

A spokesperson from Merseyside Police said: “A man has been arrested following a disturbance at a pub in Formby yesterday evening, Monday 20 October.”

“At around 8.25pm we received a report that a man was causing a disturbance and making threats at The Auld Dubliner pub after he was asked to leave when he was arguing with two customers.”

“Officers attended and a man was detained on Chapel Lane. He was found in possession of a steak knife.”

“A 58-year-old man from Formby has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, affray, racially/religious aggravated harassment/alarm/distress, threats to kill and failing to co-operate with a preliminary test. He is still in custody to be questioned.”

Eyewitnesses described dramatic scenes as police vehicles quickly arrived on Chapel Lane. One bystander said: “A man was arrested in the Dubliner after confronting patrons and staff. When police arrived, he pulled out a large knife and threw it across the bar.”

Another witness added: “There was a heavy police presence in the village, with officers everywhere, and The Auld Dubliner was closed by police because a man burst in wielding a knife.”

However, the owner of The Auld Dubliner has since contacted Formby Bubble to clarify what happened and to reassure customers that the pub remains open: “The gentleman involved had been into numerous venues within Formby earlier in the evening, causing serious injury in another premises. He came in intoxicated and was asked to leave.”

“We had already heard of him causing trouble and that somebody else had been seriously hurt, and the police were already looking for him.”

“We are not closed, and there is no investigation happening here. The gentleman was quite simply arrested on Chapel Lane.”

“The Auld Dubliner is open as normal, and there is no ongoing police investigation at the venue. The man involved remains in police custody for questioning.”

To clarify, The Auld Dubliner was not the only venue involved in the disturbance. The incident had begun elsewhere in the village and unfortunately concluded at The Auld Dubliner, which was temporarily closed while police dealt with the situation. The pub has since reopened and is operating as normal, and staff there were in no way responsible for the events that unfolded earlier in the evening.

Formby Bubble will provide any further updates once additional information is released by Merseyside Police.