Nightclub shut down following allegations teenage boy raped woman in toilet cubicle

25.07.2022 - 21:37 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A city centre nightclub where a 14-year-old boy is alleged to have raped a woman just days after another serious attack was reported has been shut down.

Bloom, in Manchester’s Gay Village, has had its licence revoked after a town hall committee heard ‘shocking’ evidence from GMP including details of 38 violent or sexual offences at the venue this year.

The club’s licence was suspended at the beginning of the month, when police ordered a summary review following the alleged rape in the venue’s toilets on June 29.

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The suspension was upheld at a further hearing on July 20, with councillors noting CCTV footage suggested a ‘level of familiarity’ between the teenager and staff at the Bloom Street venue.

Since then it has come to light that a non-binary person had also allegedly been raped in the toilets just 12 days prior, while there has been a catalogue of violence, threats and ‘sexual-type crimes’ since August 2021.

Parent company Lapwine, which holds the licence, told the hearing it had overhauled security and ramped up management supervision in response to recent incidents.

But the licensing panel said it had no confidence parent company Lapwine Ltd would be able to manage the premises in a way that would prevent crime and disorder and ensure public safety.

Barbara Gora, legal adviser to the three-strong panel, said the councillors had ‘looked carefully at the numerous incidents’ at the club over the last year - some of which were relatively minor and included some crimes against door staff.

But she added: “That did leave a number of very serious incidents which occurred at the premises in the last year at which customers suffered