Nightclub licence decision must wait

The future of Windsor's 'premier nightclub' remains uncertain after a meeting to decide whether to revoke its licence was adjourned for seven weeks.

Councillors on the Royal Borough's licensing sub-committee agreed today to a request from solicitor Lisa Sharkey to put off a decision over a police application to revoke the licence of Mantra nightclub in Bridgewater Way.

Miss Sharkey - representing the club - said that it had been impossible for her to properly examine police crime reports that had only been made available to her three days earlier on Friday.

Cllr Phill Bicknell (Con, Park), chairing the meeting, made it clear that this adjournment would be the last.

The hearing will not now take place until Monday, May 12 (Tuesday, May 13 if it runs over two days) because the Guildhall in Windsor is not available until then.

Cllr Bicknell warned: "We aren't going to return again after that. We need to come to a conclusion as soon as possible."

Debie Pearmain, police licence officer, had already argued unsuccessfully against the adjournment - citing the number of police officers who had had to be taken off normal duties to attend Monday's hearing.

She said: "Getting all these officers back again - rearranging night shifts and other duties - would be an administrative nightmare."

The police have asked councillors to revoke Mantra's licence, claiming that 20 criminal incidents have been recorded there since June including a 30-man brawl on December 8 that led to five people being arrested.

Mantra advertises itself as 'Windsor's premier nightclub'.