The licensing hearing for Oxygene nightclub in Wolverhampton, which was abruptly halted last month, is set to reconvene on July 17. The hearing, called by West Midlands Police, will determine whether the Queen Street venue can retain its licence following a stabbing in March and an under-18s event in April that attracted around 400 youths and led to a fight.
Police Concerns and Licence Breaches
West Midlands Police has expressed a loss of confidence in the club's owner, Alex Osiagor, citing failures to implement safety measures. The force is seeking to reduce the club's opening hours and suspend the licence until all breaches are addressed. The hearing began on June 11 but was adjourned after just one hour due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Incidents Under Scrutiny
The hearing agenda, published last month, details a stabbing at the venue around 4am on March 8. CCTV footage, which was not produced by security staff at the time and was incorrectly timestamped when retrieved weeks later, showed the altercation outside the club entrance was broken up by members of the public, with no intervention from security or calls to police.
During a patrol on April 4, police found over 400 young males in Queen Street, leading to a fight. Officer body cam footage showed the owner and security staff unable to confirm the number of attendees. Mr Osiagor later stated that the under-18s event was an invite-only party organized by students, which attracted large crowds after being advertised on social media. He said crowds amassed outside after the club reached capacity.
Capacity and Safety Violations
The council and police expressed deep concerns about the large groups of youths. Mr Osiagor agreed to stop under-18s events. However, an 18th birthday party with an expected 150 guests took place a week later, breaching the maximum capacity by 40 people, according to West Midlands Fire Service. The fire service noted that Mr Osiagor had previously agreed to restrict capacity and implement measures to ensure it was not exceeded as part of a 2023 application to extend opening hours.
Current Licence and Next Steps
Oxygene is currently licensed to sell alcohol until 6am and open from midday to 6am daily. The licensing committee will reconvene on July 17 to decide on the police's request to suspend the licence and reduce hours.
