THE lights went out yesterday at Glasgow's ''most violent nightclub'',
where 21 incidents -- including eight stabbings -- were investigated by
police.
Mardi Gras director, Mr Michael Modlin, surrendered his licence at a
special meeting of Glasgow District Council's licensing board, held to
consider the incidents at the Dunlop Street nightclub between May and
December last year.
Solicitor Mr Douglas Dalgleish, for Mr Modlin, admitted to the board:
''My client accepts with regret that the use of the premises in the past
few months has caused undue public nuisance and is a threat to public
safety.''
Mr Dalgleish said Mr Modlin, director and shareholder of the nightclub
run by Future Return Ltd, had not opened the Mardi Gras since the middle
of last month because of the trouble, and had instructed him ''to
surrender the licence forthwith''.
Licensing board chairman Councillor James Coleman accepted Mr Modlin's
decision and said the licence was effectively terminated.
Speaking after the meeting, Superintendent Alex Gray, in charge of
licensing affairs with Strathclyde Police, said: ''I am very pleased at
the decision.
''The club has been a concern since May last year. There have been
stabbings, slashings, and assaults. It was undoubtedly the most violent
nightclub in the city.''
The Mardi Gras, with a capacity of approximately 650, was popular with
mainly 18 to 20-year-olds and normally opened until 3am at weekends.
Under-18 discos which ended at 11pm were also held regularly.
However, a series of incidents in or near the nightclub between May
and December prompted complaints from Chief Constable Leslie Sharp,
which led to yesterday's meeting.
The incidents included:
* A fight involving several youths at an under-18 disco last August,
which resulted in one stabbing. A youth was later charged with attempted
murder.
* Several people treated at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, after a
major disturbance in October.
* Two girls seriously assaulted with a bottle in December.
Yesterday's meeting came just five weeks after Councillor Coleman
warned that a tough deal would be introduced by summer, aimed at forcing
Glasgow city centre pubs, clubs, and discos to attain much higher
standards than at present.
Superintendent Gray said he believed the cause of the problem at the
Mardi Gras was ''poor management'', and said police would ''look
closely'' at any licensed project involving Mr Modlin over the next 12
months.
Mr Modlin declined to comment yesterday.
Mr Ron McCulloch, chairman of the Glasgow Disco Owners' Assocation,
agreed with police that improving Glasgow's night life depended on
operators accepting more responsibility.
* Strathclyde police yesterday announced that 50 people stopped and
searched during the past week were found in possession of weapons. A
total of 242 weapons have been recovered from 12,408 people during the
four weeks of the enforcement of Operation Blade.
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