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Qube nightclub licence review hearing

Press Releases

Published: 26/09/2011

Isle of Wight Police Licensing Sergeant Mark Voller said:  “The policing of licensed night clubs like The Qube is guided by four objectives set out in law within the Licensing Act 2003, namely the prevention of crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

“Police believe action is needed to reduce the risk of alcohol-related crime involving people who are customers at The Qube. We share the concerns expressed by members of the public who have complained about rowdy behaviour and noise levels linked to the club. Tackling crime linked to pubs and clubs in the Ryde area remains a policing priority set by the local community for the town’s Safer Neighbourhoods team.

“The police licensing team follow national best practice by using a points warning system to compile a list of pubs and clubs where crime is reported most often. The Qube was top of this list between May and July 2011. Some of these reports can be attributed to effective club security policies that allow issues to be brought to the police’s attention swiftly. Although officers respect this good practice by licensees, we remain particularly concerned about two separate reports of disorder involving groups of people who had been customers at The Qube during the summer.

“Police recommended a number of new and amended conditions to The Qube’s licence before an Isle of Wight Council licensing hearing on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. We believe these changes to the licence can reinforce our efforts to reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related disorder in the area.

“Police continue to employ a range of measures to further improve standards within licensed premises. These include the need to:

> Employ door staff accredited by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
> Supply drinks in plastic glasses
> Brief staff about responsible sales of alcohol
> Full participation with local independent Pubwatch schemes.

“We want licensees and managers to be:

> Present and visible on their premises
> Open and ethical in reporting any issues
> To know and understand their own licences and conditions.

“When there are signs of crime and disorder, we expect licensees to act decisively in stopping sales of alcohol, ceasing entertainment, and considering an early closure of their premises.

“Our policing plan focuses patrols where they are most needed, especially at weekends, to identify and deal with potential problems before they escalate into crimes. Patrolling near licensed premises is a priority.

“Officers with thorough local knowledge know those people likely to cause trouble, and this allows us to take the most appropriate and effective action to tackle their behaviour and its impact on the community.

“Police make use of powers under Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act to exclude people aged 16 or over from specific areas for up to 48 hours if they are involved in disorder.

“Officers provide information to independent Pubwatch and Shopwatch schemes, which ban known offenders from buying alcohol. We work closely with partner agencies to use curfews, restraining orders and anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) to deal with persistent criminals.

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