Leeds District Licensing Department has applied to have the licence of a major nightclub reviewed following a number of incidents of disorder.
Officers successfully applied to Leeds City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee to close Gatecrasher on New Briggate.
The Sub Committee suspended the premises licence for a week, with a full review of the premises licence to be heard on 14 February.
The Licensing Department took action following a number of violent incidents at the club over the festive period and the first fortnight of the New Year.
Officers had previously spoken to the club after it had scored a large number of points on the city centre’s ‘Licensing Matrix’, which measures the number of incidents and crimes within the city’s licensed premises over a rolling six-month period.
Under the Licensing Matrix, if a premises scores 30 or more points within six months officers request to speak to owners and licensees to address any issues.
Should the premises then score a further 30 points in that six-month period, officers can take enforcement action. However, the number of incidents of violence at the club continued to rise, leading to the officers taking immediate action to prevent further incidents.
In addition to the ordered closure, when the club re-opens on Friday it must operate a ‘Check 25’ proof-of-age policy and install Vista ID machines for checking customers’ identities, replace its whole door staff team, and use search arches or hand-held metal detectors when directed to by NPT officers.
They were also ordered not to host any more ‘We Play Vinyl’ nights, after many of the incidents took place during these events.
Acting Superintendent Vernon Francis, of the City and Holbeck Division, introduced the Licensing Matrix to Leeds city centre. Acting Supt Francis said: “The last thing we want to do is risk harming our city’s night-time economy by closing premises down, but our priority is keeping the public safe and we can’t do this by turning a blind eye to crime and disorder.
“We have regularly tried to work with the club to address the issues affecting them but have been left with no option other than to request the closure and to apply to review the licence.”
