THE management of a Newport hotel where a schoolgirl was hit on the head with a bottle during a Valentine's dance has won back its entertainment licence.

The Kings Hotel was refused the licence following the assault on 16-year-old Lucy Edwards because Newport council's licensing committee said the applicants - director Gordon McIlroy, general manager Maria Coughlin and assistant manager Ann-Marie Jones - were not "fit and proper persons".

A provisional entertainments licence had since been granted for another member of staff at the hotel, but not to any of the three applicants.

Counsel for the three, Jonathan Walters, said the appeal was brought because Mr McIlroy, Ms Coughlin and Ms Jones wanted to clear their names. Newport magistrates heard yesterday how staff at the hotel did not call the police or an ambulance when Lucy, a pupil at Bassaleg Comprehensive, was injured on February 12, 2000.

Ms Coughlin, who saw Lucy following the incident, said the girl's friends had told her she did not want an ambulance and that they had already called her mother.

She said: "In hindsight I wish I had called an ambulance, knowing the severity of the injury."

Magistrates were told that the party was supposed to be for over-18s, and Ms Coughlin said: "We tried our very best" to ensure that was the case. Mr McIlroy said a number of steps were being taken to try to prevent another such incident, including the extension of the hotel's CCTV.

Finding for the three applicants, chairman of the magistrates Mr Crook said that although there may have been shortcomings on the night of the dance, the weaknesses had now been addressed.

The magistrates decided not to award court costs against the council and said the council's decision to defend their action was "fully justified".

Afterwards Lucy said she was disappointed with the outcome, but added: "I'm pleased this has raised awareness of the shortcomings there were at the time.

"It took my injury for them to improve things, but it's encouraging that improvements have now been made."

Mr McIlroy said: "I think this was the proper result. We will be going straight back to hosting weddings and Christmas parties, but nothing for under-18s or colleges."

*PICTURED: Anne-Marie Jones (left) and Maria Coughlin.