Hampshire police bid to shut White House bar in Southampton

Officers want to permanently close down the White House in Southampton which they say is run by “poor management” with “poor judgement”.

The comments are contained in a report to be submitted by police to licensing chiefs and which will go before councillors next week. The report has been submitted after a man was seriously injured after being allegedly bottled on the dance floor in October.

The alleged assault then sparked a major public order incident when the trouble spilled outside the premises and on to the pavement where a member of the door staff was also assaulted.

Saints star Lee Barnard was one of four men arrested at the premises and was later questioned on suspicion of assault.

He had to undergo surgery on his hand following the incident.

He and three other men aged 31, 26 and 25, will answer police bail today.

The report says the scale of trouble was so severe police had to take the rare step of calling for all available units to attend the scene in Above Bar in the early hours of October 3.

Large numbers of officers had to attend to get the situation – described as “volatile and intimidating”

– under control and some pressed their emergency buttons to call for immediate backup.

One officer said it was “potentially one of the most serious incidents of public order” he had witnessed in the city on a weekend and had officers not responded quickly it would have become “unmanageable”

and put the safety of police and the public at risk.

Today the details of what happened can be revealed for the first time after it was listed in the police report given to councillors asking them to shut down the bar.

It detailed how police at the scene felt the atmosphere was “frenzied and excitable” and “tempers were frayed” as a member of the door staff repeatedly shouted “get more police”.

It also described how “no one at the club had any control”.

The trouble broke out at the bar after a group of men arrived at 2.10am and were initially refused entry by door staff because they appeared to be drunk.

A nearby officer was asked to intervene when one manreportedly said: “Why aren’t I being allowed in? He says I’m drunk, I’m not drunk.

I’m a footballer.

We’ve spent a lot of money in there.”

However they were later admitted, and according to police, they bypassed an ID scanner which the licensees are obliged to use when people go in.

The report says that shortly later, one customer allegedly assaulted another by “repeatedly smashing a bottle into his head”.

In statements made by officers following the brawl, PC Sharon Conway told how she arrived at the scene to see staff and customers coming out of the club and at least two door staff had blood on their jackets.

On the ground, a man was being restrained and when she attempted to arrest him he began swearing and struggling.

PC Conway said that she needed help to handcuff him, and his legs had to be restrained as he was taken away in a police van.

She went on to describe how she saw another man bleeding “very heavily from his fingers”

and said the situation was “frenzied and excitable”.

Door staff then ordered the music be turned off inside and the club be emptied.

Police Sergeant Richard McWilliam was on duty in a marked police van when the trouble broke out.

He described how he arrived and found the situation “volatile”, with around 100 people in the vicinity.

Sgt McWilliam said: “I have been working in Southampton for eight years and this was potentially one of the most serious incidents of public order I have witnessed during the night time economy period at a weekend”.

He added: “Had the police officers not responded as quickly as they did this could have been far more serious than it already was and escalated further which could have become unmanageable and put the safety of police officers and members of the public at risk”.

Southampton police say if their call to close the White House is rejected they want to reduce the opening hours of the premises to force them to close at 1am instead of 5am.

They also want to introduce polycarbonate glasses for all drinks.

Members of the city council’s licensing committee will consider the report on December 16.

White House History

■ It’s not the first time White House has been subjected to a review because of concerns by police, according to the report.

■ In August 2010 concerns were raised at a hearing about the poor management of the venue.

Similarly it also listed that people initially refused entry to the bar had then been let in and trouble had broken out inside resulting in a large scale public order offence.

■ A sexual assault was also reported at the flat at the White House venue. Inside “a quantity of drugs” were found and concerns were also raised about drug use in the bar and underage people drinking there.

■ In September a licensing officer attended the venue and found the ID scanner was not working. A doorman had suggested to the manager that they contact police because the scanner was a requirement of their licence, but the manager felt it wasn’t necessary.

■ This, the police say, showed “a disregard” for license conditions and proved management were not operating effectively.

■ The report went on to say how the drunken state of people leaving the White House was “concerning” – in particular a man found slumped outside being violently ill because he was so drunk.