The After Dark club in Bolton has been forced to close due to a failure to meet fire safety standards. Fire service officials found blocked exits and emergency exit signs that did not illuminate. It was also found that the alarm was not linked to the sound system and so could not be heard for the music.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Fire Safety Officer, Wayne Van Hecke, said:
“We found the life risk to the public was so great that we had no other option than to prohibit the opening of the club until the necessary fire safety standards were met, as public safety is our number one priority.”
The club was closed at 1am on Sunday morning and the management apologised to customers for their having to leave ‘while the party was bouncing’. The repair work will be undertaken and it was hoped that the club would be open again by the following weekend.
PC Jane Wilcock from Bolton’s police partnership team said that the visit had been planned and also involved licensing staff from Bolton Council. A secondary aim was to see whether there were any underage drinks sales taking place or whether alcohol was being served to those who were already too intoxicated. The ongoing operation will see a number of licensed premises in the area visited in the run-up to Christmas.
