‘Last chance’ for club plagued by violence
A NIGHTCLUB has been given ‘one last chance’ after having its licence suspended following two nights of violence and mayhem.
History, in Manchester city centre, was at risk of being shut down after a doorman was stabbed.
The serious attack on September 12 was followed just seven days later by around 100 of troublemakers ‘rushing’ the doors due to insufficient security, forcing police to be called from across the city centre and beyond as fighting broke out and the venue descended into ‘serious disorder.’
The chaotic scenes triggered a council licensing review, which saw 25 residents come forward with accounts of how problems seemingly related to the club had made their lives a misery.
Complaints about the club – on Longworth Street, off Deansgate – ranged from intimidation, drug dealing and violence, to illegal parking, noise pollution and littering.
GMP and licensing chiefs both urged a council sub-committee to strip the club of its licence after presenting evidence at an eight-hour hearing at the town hall extension.
But the three-strong panel handed the nightspot a reprieve after club owner Mohammed Mohamud and solicitor Richard Williams pleaded for a second chance.
The club proposed a series of measures – including a new metal-detecting arch, increased security and an earlier 4am closing time – which they were ‘confident’ would stop any repeat of the recent trouble.
After a lengthy period of deliberation, the committee told the club it had accepted its plea not to go for the ‘nuclear option.’ Instead it would allow the venue to put its ‘action plan’ into place – with some changes and additional conditions.
Chair, Coun Paul Andrews, said: “Revocation was a serious consideration for the panel. However, we have decided not to revoke the licence, we have modified the licence conditions.”
Legal adviser Dawn Sweetman added that the committee was ‘of the opinion that the premises had understood the significance of the events and the concerns of residents and addressed those concerns raised by them and the other relevant authorities.’
A report to the committee from the council’s out-of-hours team records a string of breaches at History – followed
by warning letters – dating back to 2018.
These mainly arose from residents’ complaints about noise from clubbers leaving at the end of the night, fighting and drug misuse and disturbance from people revving car engines, sounding horns and playing loud music.
Steve Harrison, the council’s licensing compliance officer, said his team felt it was now time to revoke the club’s licence following several warnings since February 2019.
He said: “The premises have consistently failed to uphold the licensing objectives and has little regard for the licensing conditions.”
Deansgate ward councillor Joan Davies, speaking on behalf of residents, said she had ‘no problem’ with History operating a lively venue and people enjoying themselves into the small hours. She said: “What I do have a problem with is street urination, drug dealing, drug taking, blasting loud music out of cars and the feeling of intimidation that residents are experiencing.”
She ‘reluctantly’ called for the licence to be revoked, or if the committee was not so minded – for a further reduction in opening hours and extra conditions to reduce the ‘consistent nuisance’ to residents.
Mr Mohamud said he accepted that what residents had been through was ‘terrible’ and ‘disgusting’ and apologised to anyone who was affected.
But he said closing the club would not just impact on him, but all the people whose livelihood depends on the venue.