Today, after a lot of hard work from the hotel’s new owners the pub has now slipped an astonishing 76 places down the list to 79th and thank their new team of security for their success.

Licensees Rod Leonard and Glenn Armstrong are pleased to see the major shift in violent behaviour at the hotel, but say they still have quite a way to go to.

After taking over the pub eight months ago, Mr Leonard said they closed their doors for three months to take time in rebuilding the hotel’s tarnished reputation and refurbishing its interior.

Last week the Bureau of Crime Statistics released a list of the top 100 ranked licensed premises for assaults from July 2008-09, the same list they appeared third on the previous year.

The most recent report has placed the Commercial Hotel at 79th on the list with a reported 12 assaults in the past financial year.

Mr Leonard and Mr Armstrong said there had only been two reported assaults at the hotel in the eight months they had been running it, and say the other 10 reported incidents occurred before they took over.

“It has taken a lot of hard work,” Mr Armstrong said.

“We hired a whole new team of security which has made a big difference.

“The front door is the difference between a good or a bad night,” Mr Leonard added.

Both men agree the return of well-known bouncer Tom Burrows has made a massive difference to patronage at the hotel.

Mr Leonard who used to manage the hotel before taking up his new position next to Mr Armstrong said he had seen a big shift in the atmosphere at the hotel, saying patrons were happier than they used to be.

He and his staff have worked tirelessly over recent months in booking big-name entertainment including artists Israel, Hoon n Sling, and internationally renown DJ Havana Brown.

For now Mr Leonard and Mr Armstrong are aiming to get the Commercial Hotel off the top 100 list all together and say they believe it will happen when the report is released again in July next year.

anna.yeo@ruralpress.com