Customers at a Liverpool pub described hearing an "almighty crash" after part of the ceiling collapsed while they were enjoying a drink. The incident happened at The Vines on Lime Street shortly before 6pm on Thursday, August 27, when part of the ceiling fell into the lounge bar area.
Customers describe moment of collapse
One woman who was inside the pub said she had just sat down with her drink when she heard the loud crash. She told the ECHO: "We'd just sat down with our drinks. The girl on the next table kind of moved back, and then there was this almighty crash, and the ceiling fell."
"Two of the girls were sat underneath it and they got hit. Everyone jumped up and knocked all the drinks over. Glasses were smashed. It was wild."
"When you look up, it all looks like it's about to fall apart. Like there's cracks everywhere and like peeling and stuff."
Pub responds and area closed off
The woman said the affected area was closed off following the incident, with customers moved to another part of the pub. She said one of the women struck by falling material suffered marks and bruising to her back.
A spokesperson for The Vines said: "We are very upset that an important element of the coving in the Vines lounge bar area collapsed and descended into a public space."
"Fortunately no one was significantly hurt. We will investigate why this happened. Possibly due to water ingress that wasn't clearly evident."
"We don't know the exact cause but are working to preserve the heritage ceiling and protect the public. The majority of The Vines remains open."
