Kettering nightclub stripped of its licence after series of violent incidents

A Kettering nightclub which was at the centre of violence and a bomb threat has been stripped of its licence.

Police were called to Brooklyn Bar on multiple occasions between the New Year and late February, including to deal with a baseball bat attack outside and a ‘10-person brawl’.

It had its licence temporarily suspended at an emergency meeting last month – and yesterday it was revoked despite owner Rares Racasan’s plea to allow them to straighten out their mistakes.

A licensing committee sitting at Kettering’s Bowling Green Road council offices heard police had first had a meeting with Mr Racasan in 2018 over concerns about crime and disorder.

PC David Bryan, Northamptonshire Police's licensing officer, told councillors it was agreed that an action plan would be formed by the nightclub boss, which was later turned into licensing conditions after police looked at the bar again in 2020.

But PC Bryan said it appeared that some conditions were not being adhered to and asked for the licence to be revoked.

He said: "We do not know where to go from here basically.

"How many more action plans and conditions can we put on a premises?"

Two violent episodes took place at the Ebenezer Place venue as revellers celebrated the start of 2023, with one at 6.30am. Councillors were told that three women were also assaulted inside the venue on January 22. Then, at 5am on January 28, police attended after a report from CCTV operators that a man had been attacked with a baseball bat. The suspect scarpered before police arrived and the victim wouldn’t co-operate.

On February 11 two more violent incidents took place but on both occasions door staff would not make statements to police. At 2am a man was ejected and a small bag of white powder was found in his pocket but, as police made their search, he tried to run off. He assaulted door staff and had to be sprayed with incapacitant spray.

Then, at 5.30am, police were guided to an incident where a member of staff was assaulted. It then became what PC Bryan described as a ‘10-person brawl’. Door staff were reported as being ‘not helpful’ with the initial dealing of the incident.

And at 9pm on February 17 another incident was called in to Northamptonshire Police's control room after a bomb threat at the premises forced it to be evacuated. No explosive device was found but empty drug deal bags were discovered behind a toilet, police said. The venue’s windows were then smashed on February 20.

PC Bryan said: "I am concerned about the way security and management operate the premises."

Mr Racasan told councillors that he has since removed himself as the nightclub’s designated premises supervisor and that they had fired their security company for failing to provide information to police.

He said he had barred people from entering and that he believed that the nightclub shouldn't be held responsible for the baseball bat incident as it happened in the street.

Mr Racasan added that he believed that a customer who had not been allowed into the bar was the one who called police about the bomb threat. He also said he believed that a customer smashed eight windows with a hammer to 'get revenge'.

When asked what he proposed to do to stick to licensing objectives, Mr Racasan said they had hired a new manager and that they would have enforced door searches.

He told councillors: "We are willing to work with the police and council and would accept any advice that would make Kettering nightlife and our bar safer."

The nightclub boss said they had spent a lot of money on refurbishing the bar, which they would not get back if they were forced to close, and that it would be hard for their staff to find other jobs.

Mr Racasan said: "We all have families and children and we could lose everything.”

And he added: “Please allow us to straighten out our mistakes and continue our activity under your guidance."

But after 20 minutes of deliberations committee chairman Cllr Jonathan Ekins (Con) said they would revoke the venue’s licence and continue the interim suspension to cover the 21 days where the decision can be appealed.

He told Mr Racasan: "You have got an opportunity now to change everything you need to change and then perhaps you can reapply."