Punters at a Solihull social club scrambled to hide - with one taking cover behind a pillar - after police rumbled their lockdown-breaking gathering.
The Royal British Legion, in Union Road, has been barred from serving booze for two months after allowing customers to drink indoors for hours - in defiance of Covid rules at the time.
Officers responding to a tip-off on May 2 to find the blinds down and doors locked, but could hear music and voices inside and glimpse several people trying to conceal themselves in a corner of the function room.
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Despite repeatedly phoning the premises, using the intercom and banging on the door and windows no-one answered.
The club has apologised for the incident, with the meeting having heard the then secretary had been removed, with "wholesale changes" in how the venue is run and "a detailed Covid risk assessment" carried out.
But having considered the evidence, council licensing chiefs this week agreed that suspending the premises certificate for two months and tightening conditions was the right response.
Councillors had heard that police had been alerted to an indoor gathering at the town centre venue, at a time when only outside service was allowed under coronavirus restrictions.
Attending at around 11.30pm on the Sunday evening, they had repeatedly failed to get anyone to open up and had considered forced entry.
During a follow-up visit on May 4, officers were told by the club's then secretary, Brendan Brannigan, that patrons had been allowed inside to finish their drinks after it started raining heavily but had left by 9.30pm.
Although checks of CCTV revealed that a group had stopped on the premises until late in the evening, failing to socially distance and even sharing a takeaway.
When officers had arrived at the door, the "startled" group had hurried to get out of view - with one man putting a hooded top over his head and hiding behind a pillar.
The club was unable to provide details of anyone there that night, which police cited as a failure of track and trace policy.
In a review application submitted to Solihull Council last month, PC Luke Prescott said that the force had lost "all trust and confidence in the premises."
"The actions taken by the staff and customers at the premises are some of the worst we have observed in terms of showing total disregard to public safety and the current Covid-19 legislation," he added.
Janette Hand, a council licensing officer, said there had been six separate complaints about the club since 2018 - five linked to noise and another that non-members were being allowed to hold events and parties on-site.
Just five days before the incident, she had visited the venue to explain the Covid control measures needed after a routine inspection had flagged concerns over "very little understanding of the Covid regulations and rules".
She said that the events that followed showed a "blatant disregard to all the advice and guidance I gave."
Chris Hopkins, a barrister acting for the club, said committee members apologised for the breach and had taken steps to address concerns.
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He said it was quite obvious "things have gone awry", with Mr Brannigan having been removed as club secretary and another member-of-staff being handed a final written warning by the committee.
"Nobody in this room, if I can put it this way, is more disappointed in the events of May 2 than they are and doubtless if the wider membership were here today they would equally share the disappointment of the committee members and no doubt the licensing committee also.
"[There has been] a complete sea change in terms of how this club is run."
He noted than over a dozen members had written in support of the venue, described as an important "community hub", and had urged licensing chiefs not to impose sanctions above new conditions - arguing this would be "highly damaging".
New club secretary Colin Mason said that the venue had worked closely with police and licensing officers and restructured its organisation, so roles were shared out between members.
Having heard representations, several councillors spoke of their disappointment at recent events.
Cllr Bob Grinsell (Con, Olton) said: "Covid kills and it will continue to kill, that's what we as a panel have to consider.
"By the actions that have happened here your community, your membership that you wish to encourage to come back, were put at risk.
"And I know from your face that you accept that and I also accept that you're the new broom. Please god, sweep clean."
Cllr Jean Hamilton (Green, Smith's Wood) said: "This very proud name of the Royal British Legion has, some might see it as being somewhat tarnished to be honest by what's happened here."
After members adjourned to consider a decision, Cllr James Butler, who chaired the meeting, said the breaches had been "extremely serious".
"Despite hearing about the new changes and the new club management members still felt that the incident in May was so serious that a suspension is necessary, appropriate and justified."
This will last for two months.
