Security staff ‘left teenager in nightclub toilet with woman he allegedly raped’, licensing hearing is told

Nightclub security left a teenage boy in a toilet cubicle with a woman he allegedly raped, a licencing hearing was told.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday (30 June) after a woman was raped in the toilets of Bloom in Manchester in the early hours of Wednesday.

Speaking at a licensing hearing on Friday (1 July), PC Stuart Hammersley told councillors that police believe the teenager got into the club using a fake ID.

Police were also told by the victim that a member of security staff went into the toilets, knocked on the cubicle and realised there were two people inside.

However, he allowed them to remain in there together and left, the officer said.

The club will now remain closed after the panel suspended its licence.

What did the police tell the licensing hearing?

PC Hammersley said: “I don’t think anything was said to him specifically about what was going on, but obviously, it wouldn’t be good practice for security to allow two people to remain in a toilet cubicle together without carrying out checks.”

Earlier, a female customer and her friends said that they had been approached by a teenager offering to sell them drugs at around 4.15am, according to the police.

One friend claimed security staff said “have a good one mate” to the teenager as he entered the male toilets with the woman, according to a police report.

The Gay Village club’s licence has now been suspended pending a full review.

Speaking on behalf of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), PC Hammersley told the licensing panel that he was ‘shocked’ the nightclub did not contact the police.

Security staff found the teenager and detained him outside the premises, according to a police report, but the victim told staff she did not want the police contacted, so the offender was allowed to leave the club.

However, at about 5am, one of the victim’s friends contacted GMP to report the incident and officers attended the venue, according to the police report submitted to the local authority.

But PC Hammersley said the nightclub should have called the police anyway.

He said: “That’s one of the most surprising things of everything that’s gone on.

“If it was a very minor incident, if somebody had been pushed or punched and it’s not a serious injury, and they didn’t want the police involved, I can understand why they would take that on board and not necessarily contact us.

“But given the grave nature of this, I’m shocked that they didn’t contact us to say what had happened and to say they had this person detained and leave that for the victim’s friend to contact us directly herself afterwards.

“The opportunity for the male to be detained at the scene and any forensic opportunities were lost.

“Despite the victim at that stage not wishing to get the police involved, I think really it’s incumbent on the premises to contact us either way.”

What has Bloom said and what action has been taken?

Speaking on behalf of the premises licence holder at the hearing, solicitor Stephanie Williams said the club ‘understands the seriousness of what happened’ and is doing a ‘full investigation’ so cannot comment further.

The licensing panel suspended the nightclub’s licence with immediate effect.

The panel described security staff’s behaviour as ‘shocking’ and councillors were ‘gravely concerned’ that the under-age boy who is ‘alleged to have raped a female customer’ was able to enter the premises and offer customers drugs.

They also said it was ‘very troubling’ that the teenager was allowed to leave.

Commenting before the hearing a spokesperson for Bloom said: “Due to the severity of an incident which occurred in the club on Wednesday, Bloom Manchester will be closed to allow for a complete investigation to take place.

“We are working with the police and giving every assistance possible and ask for our customers’ understanding and patience at this time.”

A full review of the premises licence will be heard on July 25 at 10am.