A NIGHTCLUB in Newbury could lose its premises licence after police told councillors they had ‘wholesale and inherent concerns’. 

The Vault, at the Kennet shopping centre, has not been open to the public in two to three months, according to Thames Valley Police. 

PC Simon Wheeler told the licensing sub-committee at West Berkshire Council on September 24 that the licence should be revoked. 

Councillors on the sub-committee also heard from Amanda Ward, a council licensing officer. She said management at the Kennet shopping centre told her nobody had been seen from the club ‘for several months’. 

Nobody from the club attending the sub-committee meeting to give their side of the story. The club did also not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. 

The Vault, which used to be called Liquid, held boxing, wrestling, live music and DJ nights. The premises licence is held by Big Fish Clubs UK Ltd. 

PC Wheeler told councillors that a previous inspection of the club found the ‘vast majority of licence conditions were in breach’, like CCTV and staff training. 

He said a performance meeting between the police and the club, scheduled for February this year, was not attended by the licence holder. 

He said: “The company were off the radar. It became very difficult to contact them. It appears the trading of this business has been extremely sporadic.”

Before the club shut, PC Wheeler said it appears the managers did not want police on the premises. He said: “They were looking to try to hide incidents that were occurring, so there wasn’t any interest from the police.

“That type of situation tends to occur at premises which aren’t doing things the right way. They don’t want people to know what’s taking place at the premises.”

Councillor James Cole, chair of the sub-committee, said while it’s important to keep entertainment in Newbury, the club has been closed for months. 

Cllr Cole said: “It doesn’t look as if the town loses much.”

The most recent post on the Vault’s Facebook page, on May 31, said: “Watch this space for a new venue upgrade in the next few months. 

“Yes, we are still here, just been busy working on the club. More details to come over the next few months.”

Councillors will make a decision whether to revoke the licence within five working days.

A report from Thames Valley Police to the licensing sub-committee highlighted specific examples of concerning incidents.

These included door staff letting people in after the last entry time for £20, and ‘overly aggressive and unprofessional’ door staff.

One incident in January 2018 invovled a drunk woman who left the club in a ‘extremely intoxicated and vulnerable condition’. She was later the victim of a ‘serious sexual offence’ at a nearby bus stop.

The police said this raised ‘concerns over the duty of care of staff’.