A MASS brawl and an ‘unlicensed boxing event’ has thrown the future sale of alcohol and event hosting at a popular water park into jeopardy.

Lagoona Park, just south of Reading, is an outdoor inflatable water park with a bar, grill and events space. But councillors at Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) are set to review its license following concerns raised by officers.

A licensing officer’s report says that an incident “described as a fight involving 20-30 people” took place at Lagoona Park on February 18 this year, where one person ‘suffered a severe cut to the face’.

The brawl reportedly broke out at a charity boxing event which, the report says Lagoona Park’s license didn’t cover and which its owners didn’t have permission to hold.

WBC’s report also said there did “not appear to be adequate security provisions in place.” And a police report said the owner couldn’t say how many people attended the event, although “a separate caller estimated 500-600 people.”

The brawl followed previous incidents and apparent breaches of Lagoona Park’s license in earlier months.

Council licensing officer Mike Harding reports owner Andy McLeod-Ross told him to “f*ck off” during a visit on November 25 last year, and that McLeod’s son James was “restraining his father.”

Mr Harding was inspecting the venue during a fan zone event for an England match in the 2022 World Cup. He says McLeod claimed the visit—Harding’s second that day—meant “something untoward was happening,” as there had also been three visits from police.

The officer reports 10 children under the age of 18 were spotted at the fan event, despite the fact that Lagoona Parks license prohibits children under that age, and that McLeod said they wouldn’t be admitted.

In a separate incident, a police report says a fight broke out between two brothers at a work Christmas party held at the venue on December 17 last year, which ended with one person being kicked in the head.

The McLeod’s had already agreed to file an application to change the conditions of their license following the World Cup event. But the licensing authority rejected a draft application on January 13 on the grounds that it didn’t contain enough detail.

Following concerns, Wokingham Borough Council’s Licensing and Appeals Hearings Sub Committee is set to review Lagoona Park’s license at a meeting on Wednesday, May 10.

The committee’s options include changing the conditions of the license, excluding an activity from the license, suspending the license for up to three months, or revoking the license. They can also remove the premises’ designated supervisor, or issue a formal warning.

Thames Valley Police is recommending that the council prosecutes the venue for holding an unlicensed event, replace the premises’ supervisor, and suspend its license until owners have met the request for a variation application, which is then accepted.

These would not appear to stop water activities at Lagoona Park, which is set to open for the summer from this Saturday, May 6.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Lagoona Park for comment.