Bognor nightclub threatened with booze ban

Brian Bracher, the Arun district's commander for Sussex Police, has applied for the Mud club's licence to sell alcohol to be suspended for at least seven days.

His request will be considered by Arun District Council members in about a month's time.

Chief Inspector Bracher says in his application for the seafront club's premises licence to be reviewed that he believes the break from selling alcohol is necessary.

It will break the links between the club and sale of booze to drunk and violent individuals.

It will also give the club's staff time to be trained in refusing to sell drinks to drunks and in using the polycarbonate bottles and drinking containers which he wants to see replace glasses and glass bottles, he states.

The period will enable the premises' CCTV to be upgraded and a door supervisor policy agreed with the police.

His request for a review states: "It is the police opinion that there have been systemic failures in the management of these premises."

The failures had contributed to violent assaults, he claims.

No-one from the Mud Club, which is run by Harvey Bailey and Emma Holland, could be contacted to comment about the review.

Ch Insp Bracher's request for a review has been prompted by an assault in the club on April 26. He states that an 18-year-old man received a grievous bodily harm injury when he was attacked by another customer.

"The injury required 19 stitches which is almost certainly going to leave a permanent scar on the victim's face," he states.

"There is a strong possibility that he may also have suffered some nerve damage.

"Although this incident is the first extremely-serious injury assault, there have been five previous occasions in which glass has been used as a weapon during an assault in these premises."

Police records also show 30 assaults '“ ABH or common assault '“ directly linked to the Mud Club since January 1, 2007.

Two involved the use of a glass or bottle.

Most victims were punched or headbutted. A further three assaults with a glass or bottle took place there in 2006. On at least nine occasions in the past 17 months, the victim was a member of staff.

The number of assaults has led to several police requests for glass to be replaced by polycarbonate containers to stop further such incidents.

Each time, Ch Insp Bracher comments, the request has been refused by Mr Bailey and Ms Holland or put on hold.

Ch Insp Bracher continues that he believes the club is not taking part in Bognor's Pubwatch in spite of the condition on the current premises licence requiring membership of the scheme.

In particular, he says violent incidents in the club, where the offenders have been identified, are failing to be reported to Pubwatch meetings where those involved in the attacks could be banned from other licensed premises.

Correcting this approach is among six conditions which Ch Insp Bracher wants to see imposed on the club's premises licence.

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