'Packed nightclub' in Birmingham with 150 revellers inside raided
- Published
Police have raided a makeshift club, complete with DJ, bar and VIP area, where about 150 people were "packed in".
Officers were pelted with bottles as clubbers tried to break out of the Birmingham building and were seen fleeing via the roof.
About 70 people were fined £200 and the DJ faces a £10,000 fine.
On the same night, 13 people were found in a workshop that had been turned into a bar nicknamed "The Covid Arms".
West Midlands Police said the garage workshop in Dudley Port had a sign on the wall displaying its new name.
Officers used their discretion to allow the dozen people in there to leave, but the owner was issued with a £1,000 fine, the force said.
In Birmingham, police said taxis were seen dropping people off at the building on Buckingham Street in the Jewellery Quarter and when officers went inside they found crowds filling two floors, a bar and VIP area.
A search of the premises led to officers also finding a recording studio and gym.
One officer suffered a minor injury as a door was smashed open by people trying to break out of the club area, the spokesperson added.
Thermal imaging from police drones captured people trying to escape by the roof in the early hours of Sunday.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said people must remember lockdown continues and Covid-19 is still a threat to communities.
"Our officers continue to work long and hard to protect the public and reduce the spread of this deadly virus by breaking up these gatherings, often in really difficult circumstances.
"It's unacceptable that our officers came under attack, and that one suffered a minor injury, just for doing their job and enforcing laws that are in place to keep us all safe."
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