Voodoo club loses licence after rise in booze-related crime
JON MACPHERSON
APOPULAR nightclub has had its licence revoked after claims a series of ‘irresponsible’ drinks promotions led to an increase in alcohol-related incidents.
Voodoo has been criticised by Hyndburn council for ‘frequent and flagrant’ breaches of licensing conditions which police claim have resulted in a seven-fold increase in alcoholrelated crime incidents since 2015.
Nightclub bosses have confirmed they are appealing the decision and stressed that the Willow Street club will remain open over Christmas and New Year as the revocation does not come into effect until early January.
The application to revoke the licence was made by the council after licensing bosses said a series of ‘irresponsible drinks promotions’ in recent months were in breach of a mandatory condition on their licence and had led to crime and disorder.
The council said they have received no correspondence or representation from the nightclub’s licence holder or designated premises supervisor (DPS) since August 2017 and that they had ‘no alternative option available’.
Sgt Jason Middleton, of Lancashire Police, said they ‘fully support the application [to revoke the licence] and reasoning for it’. Speaking at a licensing meeting this week, he said: “We share the concerns regarding what can be described as an irresponsible drinks promotions at the premises and the apparent increase in crime and disorder that can be linked to this pro- motion.”
Sgt Middleton said there had been seven alcohol-related incidents at the nightclub between August 26 and October 14 this year - up from three in 2016 and just one in 2015.
The incidents included a ‘large scale disorder’ involving 10 people outside the club, one ‘abso- lutely paralytic’ girl being taken to hospital and another incident involving a female hitting another female in the face with a glass bottle.
Coun Melissa Fisher, licensing sub-committee chairperson, told the meeting: “It doesn’t look good and it doesn’t look good for Accrington. “Unfortunately Accrington’s nightlife has declined over the years.
“We want to see places that are open, used well and run responsibly. I am very, very concerned that despite emails and requests to stop these promotions there has been no response and it’s still carrying on.”