Club gets another chance after ‘shocking’ violence
A ‘LUXURIOUS’ Manchester nightclub where tables can cost up to £2,000 has been allowed to keep its licence despite hosting the ‘worst disorder’ a police officer has ever seen.
Cirque Le Soir in Deansgate was temporarily ordered to close by the council’s licensing committee following a mass brawl inside and outside the venue in the early hours of September 19.
A full review hearing was told that a man was knocked unconscious inside the premises and security staff at the Queen Street club chased clubbers outside using metal barrier poles and ropes as weapons.
One man who had been at the nightspot brandished a ‘makeshift club,’ and there were threats made to shoot people, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Pc Alan Isherwood said: “It is no exaggeration to say that it was some of the worst disorder linked to a licensed premises that I have seen in my 11 years as a police licensing officer. The fact that security barriers are wielded and used like clubs and thrown across a main road is truly shocking.”
GMP and the council’s licensing and out-of-hours team had called for the club, which was formerly Press Club and Toy Box, to permanently lose its licence.
However, the committee agreed to allow it to reopen with additional conditions to improve safety as they said the incident was a ‘one off.’
The violence began after customers on two separate tables in the club’s VIP area began fighting, the hearing was told. They were moved to the main bar area by door staff, but continued to fight and throw bar furniture within the club.
CCTV from inside Cirque shown during the meeting showed dozens of men fighting as security staff and women dressed in lingerie attempt to pull them apart.
Sarah Clover, the barrister representing Cirque owners OOTF Ltd, said: “This is a one-off episode, fairly catastrophic no doubt, but it stands alone.”
Committee chair Coun William Jeavons told the hearing that they ‘seriously considered revocation’ of the licence. However, the panel agreed to allow the club to continue to trade with a number of beefed up conditions.
These include security staff wearing high-visibility jackets or vests and body-worn cameras, a list of door staff being shared with GMP, and a head door supervisor being appointed.