Yahoo News Club's licence could be cancelled after man allegedly dropped on head
The Middlesbrough Empire could have its licence cancelled after a man was allegedly dropped on his head outside the popular venue.
The Corporation Road club has been closed since its licence was suspended following the alleged incident late on March 23. Middlesbrough Council’s licensing committee will again meet on Wednesday for a full review and has several options in its power.
These include cancelling the licence, suspending it for no more than three months, changing the conditions and removing the designated premises supervisor. The club owners would have the right to appeal at magistrates’ court.
Alternatively, members may decide to issue a warning or recommend improvement within a certain time period. The review hearing follows the decision of the committee to suspend the licence at an interim meeting, following an application by Cleveland Police.
The alleged assault was captured on video and shared widely across social media. Sergeant Glyn Bavin on behalf of the chief officer of police for the force, had said it was “concerning” that the alleged victim “appears to be unconscious” following the incident and had a seizure as a result of being “thrown to the ground on his head”.
In its reasons for the interim suspension, the committee said it was considered “just luck” that the man did not suffer very serious injury “if not worse.” It was also said the alleged perpetrator did not appear to be challenged by staff.
Citing other previous alleged incidents at the venue, representations were also made from a Middlesbrough Council public health officer who said there was “a clear lack of control” at the premises. A licensing enforcement officer said CCTV showed there was a lack of aftercare given to the alleged victim by doorstaff and management.
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Ahead of the full review hearing, the club said a new firm will operate security as they make “essential and necessary steps to ensure that best practices are adhered to.” A new management team was also announced in the wake of the departure of Ashley Wem, who ran the venue for 30 years.
As reported last year, The Empire was forced to shut its doors for four weeks after its licence was suspended following two violent incidents. The club has since drafted in a raft of new security measures, including a new ID scanning machine and fingerprint scanner, two OYN-X Eagle facial recognition cameras, and 72 security cameras around the venue.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent and remains on bail while police enquiries are ongoing. Police were able to trace the alleged victim, who was not seriously injured.
