ROCHDALE’S main nightclub owner is threatening to pull out of the town centre after one of his venues was shut down following a gang brawl.
Dave Sinclair blasted ‘heavy-handed’ police and council chiefs after The Kandy Klub had its licence temporarily suspended amid concerns the nightspot was becoming a hotbed for trouble.
The 45-year-old, who owns six bars and clubs in the town – and is due to open a seventh next month – says he has invested millions of pounds over the past decade but is seriously considering his future.
He was speaking after the authorities used emergency powers to strip the club of its licence following a mass fight last Sunday.
Officers were called to the 1,000-capacity venue in Drake Street at 5.50am after reports of fighting near the club.
They found six men – one of whom threatened an officer – and three doormen fighting on the pavement in front of a large jeering mob.
An emergency hearing was held on Friday because of fears violence could flare up again with licensing bosses deciding to temporarily close the club in the ‘interests of public safety’.
Mr Sinclair has vowed to fight the decision at a full hearing within the next four weeks and told the Observer he feels he is being blamed for the binge-drinking culture.
He said: "We have six venues and are due to open a seventh soon and we've never had a licence revoked before. Licensees are getting the flack for binge drinking but it’s coming from the supermarkets where beer is cheaper than water. If you come into our venues, we serve our drinks in measures so consumption is more controlled.
"The incident didn’t happen inside the club – it happened in the vicinity after the doormen had finished their shifts and we got rid of the doormen and the company which employs them as soon as we found out. It was boisterous and we don’t condone what happened."
The businessman, who also runs Carousel, Twist, Bar Vegas, Uncle Sam’s, Ko-Ko Lounge and his new venture Kobana, fears that the local economy could be badly hit if he loses his appeal against the decision.
He added: "It’s the only nightclub left in the town and it’s vital we keep it going for the economy and people of Rochdale. The taxi drivers and takeaways told us they suffered last weekend so it will have a huge knock-on impact.
"I wouldn’t open another club in this town. We spent over £300,000 last year alone on the sound system at Kandy. If we lose our licence permanently then I’d probably want to get out of Rochdale and go to invest in a town which gives support to the industry."
But licensing bosses and police defended the tough steps and said they were acting to ensure the safety of revellers.
Andy Glover, the council’s public protection manager, said: "We are committed to ensuring that the town centre is a safe environment for people to drink and socialise – that means there is no place for an establishment that is becoming a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, violence or any other type of criminal activity.
"We will seek to use all the powers we have and the law to close down such a premises that threatens the safety of our town centre patrons. I would like to stress that we work closely with local licensees to make sure that they are upholding the conditions of their licences and we have been successful in building up excellent relationships with most landlords who fully support what we are trying to achieve."
Chief Superintendent John O’Hare, added: "This sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable and tarnishes the image of Rochdale. The overwhelming majority of people who go out into our town do so to enjoy a good night out, and we cannot have one establishment becoming a focal point for violence and anti-social behaviour giving Rochdale an unfair and unwanted reputation."
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Most recent user comments 21 of 21
17/10/2009 at 12:10 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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18/07/2009 at 03:44 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I have to agree Oldham has a better set up and greater investment, but this is backed by strict door policy and dress codes.
I don’t think I am alone in saying that some of the people who go out in Rochdale are lacking social skills, not least when they have had a drink. Rochdale has its chavs and until the police begin to close venues where they enjoy causing havoc, Rochdale will not prosper. Although it may be difficult to define a chav, you know one when you see one, especially if they’re ballooning when they have had a drink. . Infact it was only a few months ago I was giving an eye witness statement to the police regarding a young lad who had hit a girl full fisted in the face and then proceeded to queue up to get in Kandy as if nothing had happened. This is the type of person this venue attracts.
The Nile was always Chavy and Kandy is always Chavy. Just knock the place down. People who lease the place for £60,000 a year from the landlords don’t have the incentive to have strict dress codes and promote decent behaviour amongst customers and its that big, extra investment is too costly. The problem therefore will always exist until the police shut it down.
As for the comment from Castleton, don’t make me laugh, which relative of Mr Sinclair are you then. Once teenagers are 18 they stop hanging around on street corners anyway, so are these teenagers that you are talking about, underage teens who are going to Kandy? Perhaps another reason the police need to review the premises license then. People miss good times, amongst people who have as much respect for everyone else as they do for themselves. Get rid of Kandy and get rid of the chavs, all the other venues including some ran by Mr Sinclair do not entertain chavs so clearly its chavs who want to save Kandy. Mr Sinclair must recognise that unless he markets that venue at chavs he has no business, so how then if he cleans the place up does he envisage earning a return on that rather expensive sound system????? He can’t and that is the crooks of the argument, if it remains open he will have to appeal to chavs and chavs as we have all seen cause havoc.
14/07/2009 at 18:20 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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10/07/2009 at 15:46 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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Fights are inevitable with or without drink involved. It is part of nature and has been going on in the town centre establishments in even larger scales back as far as the 60's so no change there except now people like Mr Sinclair nip it in the bud before it starts, effectively policing his own establishments,and transferring unruly behaviour to the police in the street to monitor and do as they see fit. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE and is proved to be done by Mr Sinclair effectively to be able to remain and expand his business over the years.. And as for this fight to take place outside a closed public place irrespective of owner or whether fighting stemmed from inside prior to closing should not give rise to persecution of a businessman who has invested so much in providing entertainment,services and jobs in amuch needed area. I have been a regular weekly attender to Mr Sinclair's clubs for a large number of years and found all his establishments to be extremely well protected against unruly behaviour and have known several occasions in the past 10 years where doormen have had a sniff of trouble and swiftly removed all concerned. My basic points of this post are : 1#; ROCHDALE COUNCIL----POLICE YOUR TOWN PROPERLY AND DO THE JOB YOU ARE PAID BY THE TOWNSHIP TO DO...PROPERLY!!!
2:THE TOWN NEEDS MORE INVESTORS LIKE MR SINCLAIR SO STOP PUNISHING INVESTORS LIKE HIM FOR TROUBLE CAUSED BY POLICE AND COUNCIL FAILURES.
3:MR SINCLAIR DID ALL HE COULD HAVE DONE WITHIN HIS RIGHT WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING BOUNDARIES AND GETTING PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN THIS FRACAS AND SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR SWIFT ACTION IN REMOVING A SECURITY FIRM THAT WAS UNABLE TO FULFIL DUTIES AND WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
Well done Dave in keeping the town,s entertainment industry alive. Keep up the good work.You have my full support.
signed
Carousel little dancer man.
8/07/2009 at 07:12 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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It is a pity that Dave, his family, employees and customers are being penalised in this way.
Already, over 1,000 people have joined a new group set up on a social network site to show their support for Kandy Klub, and this figure is going up daily. This just goes to show how popular a venue Kandy is, and many people have posted comments stating that they feel extremely safe in all of Dave's venues.
Rochdale is a safer town to drink in than many of the neighbouring towns, but if good venues are closed down because of the actions of a few individuals, many people will start going elsewhere on a Friday and Saturday night... and Rochdale cannot afford to lose them during this time of financial crisis, and so called town centre regeneration.
7/07/2009 at 11:26 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I think that Mr Sinclair spends too much time drinking in his bars than he does manging them. He owns the following other venues in town: Carousel, - Night Club Twist, - Night Club Bar Vegas, Uncle Sam’s, - Night Club Ko-Ko Lounge
So there are 3 other clubs which Mr Sinclair owns. He has got too greedy in Rochdale so moving to another town wouldnt be such a bad thing.
4/07/2009 at 22:06 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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3/07/2009 at 21:30 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I think it unfair to punish the sinclair group for i know they work hard to maintain a good working relationship with the local authorities and the police. they have dismissed the door team involved on the spot and may i add at the time this brawl happened the club was shut and the doorstaff dismised from duty for the evening therefor the culprits involved had no association to Kandy club.
the local council should support the sinclair group not smash all there hard work....................... steve .......middleton
3/07/2009 at 21:08 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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3/07/2009 at 11:11 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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3/07/2009 at 05:09 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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2/07/2009 at 12:11 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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This was a typical Saturday night outside Tiffanys or Rochdale Football Club back in 1974!!
1/07/2009 at 21:07 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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1/07/2009 at 18:59 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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1/07/2009 at 16:42 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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It is drink thats responsible. I think Mr Sinclair should consider something radical for a while - close at 2am like all clubs used to. That way you can't be seen to be responsible for 7 or 8 hours of non stop drinking. No wonder people are fighting if they are still drinking at 5.30am.
1/07/2009 at 13:42 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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For myself, I'd rather spend the night poking myself in the eyes than have to contend with what is considered entertainment here; dodging bottles, punches and the company of drunken thugs doesn't create an atmosphere for one to relax in, and surely that's what it's meant to be about, leisure; you'd be better off on a battlefield if that's how you want to relax.
If Mr Sinclair has owned and ran these establishments for decades and during which time there has been perpetual violence in the town, then he must take the responsibility for its creation through inept planning and management.
Times are changing, don't try to stop it; this is progression. When we can see in retrospect our mistakes and learn by them, then WE as a society can progress into a future better than the past.
1/07/2009 at 13:33 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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1/07/2009 at 12:35 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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1/07/2009 at 12:15 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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1/07/2009 at 10:29 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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The only business that any nightclub will bring to the town are drunken idiots out to cause trouble.
In a time when people can reach for their mobile and select who they want in their social network, and enjoy a cheaper better quality drink in the ambience of their own or a friends home, I feel their is no longer any need for this kind of encouragement to become involved in gratuitous violence such as are nightclubs and pubs. Look around you see all the closed pubs; its a clear message that this type of entertainment no longer plays an important place in society.
So, what if Mr Sinclair backs out of the town investment?
There are other investors with better investment ideas.
The knock on effect to other businesses really is not an incentive to retain this dangerous and destructive method of entertainment.
There are far too many parasitical businesses in this town in who are willing to exploit those disadvantaged through education or physical or mental disability. The industry highlighted in this article are the highest offenders, in my opinion, and it's time they found some other way to seperate the fool from his money.
INNOV8!
1/07/2009 at 09:51 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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