Bouncers are sacked after men attacked outside club
TEENAGE RUGBY LEAGUE ACE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS HEAD INJURIES
BOUNCERS caught on film attacking two men outside Factory nightclub have been sacked, the M.E.N. can reveal.
It comes after mobile phone footage of several door staff throwing punches outside the Princess Street club was shared widely on social media.
Two men were hurt in the brawl in the early hours of Sunday, including St Helens Rugby League player Joe Sharratt, 18, who was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
Factory bosses confirmed they had terminated their contract with Professional Security, the firm which provided the bouncers.
And now Gordon Lamb, Professional Security operations director, has told the M.E.N. all the bouncers involved have been sacked, adding he was ‘disgusted and appalled’ by the actions of his staff.
In a statement, Mr Lamb said: “Following an incident which took place outside Factory nightclub in Manchester in the early hours of Sunday we have commenced a full investigation.
“We are working closely with the local authorities, police, and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to ensure that appropriate action is taken swiftly against all members of security personnel involved.
“As a company, our primary focus is on upholding the highest standards. We have been an SIA Approved Contractor for 12 years, achieving some of the highest scores in the industry over recent years as a result of our commitment to compliance.
“We were appalled by the behaviour of the door supervisors shown in the footage of this incident, which contradicts everything that we strive to achieve at Professional Security.
“The door supervisors involved have all had their employment terminated with immediate effect as I personally was disgusted an appalled by their behaviour following the initial incident at Factory where the door supervisors attended an altercation involving the males that took place inside the venue.”
The footage shows as many as eight security staff launching a volley of punches and kicks on two men.
At the start of the brawl one man can be seen being punched to the ground before the bouncers surround another man. As he falls onto his hands and knees the door staff are seen punching the man in his back.
Police incident.
A GMP spokeswoman said: “At 3.20am police were called to are investigating the reports a man had been assaulted on Princess Street in the city centre.
“Officers attended and an 18-year-old man was taken to hospital. He is still in hospital but his injuries are not as serious as first thought and he remains in for observation at the moment. Inquiries are ongoing.”
Chief inspector Cherie Buttle has appealed to anyone with further video footage of the incident to get in touch.
She said: “We’re aware that there are a number of videos circulating on social media and I cannot stress how important it is that those with footage make contact with us.
“With a mobile phone at everyone’s fingertips, filming something is often the first thing people think to do but please, pass this onto us to so we can fully investigate this matter.”
Any witnesses or anyone with further information can contact GMP on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.