Birmingham nightclub to close over 'gun to head' incident
- Published
Birmingham City Council revoked the Art House's licence at a meeting earlier
A nightclub is to be permanently shut down after a gun was allegedly pointed at someone's head on the dance floor during gang-related disorder.
Birmingham City Council said staff at Art House in Bissell Street, near the city centre, "risked public safety" in early hours of 12 May.
West Midlands Police armed unit descended on the venue after a 999 call claimed a gun had been fired.
The club's licence was revoked by Birmingham City Council on Monday.
The BBC has attempted to contact the venue for a response.
The licensing committee meeting heard how police officers arriving on the scene witnessed people fleeing the club in panic and vehicles speeding off, resulting in a minor collision between two of them.
No-one was seriously injured but members of the public and a security guard said a gun had been brandished inside the venue.
An investigation found that the venue's acting supervisor had previously been barred from having any managerial responsibility by the council.
Similarly, the venue's duty manager had previously been spoken to by police for her involvement in events where known criminals had attended and firearms had been brandished.
The hearing revealed how the venue only had six security staff working on the night rather than eight and had told police the event was an in-house promotion rather than a birthday party.
Licensing officer, PC Abdool Rohomon, said at the hearing: "Nothing will work with this premises other than revoking the licence."
Hearing chairman, councillor Barbara Dring, said: "An incident of serious crime and disorder involving a firearm shows the management and staff had inadequate control of running the premises, as a result public safety was at risk."