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The last chance saloon
Reporter: KAREN DOHERTY
Date online: 02/02/2009
Sickening night of drink and violence
OLDHAM town centre is on its “last chance” after two people paid the price of a controversial £5.99 all you can drink deal.
MP Phil Woolas has called for action to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence after trouble flared at the Tokyo Project in the early hours of Saturday.
A photographer caught the moment a drunken thug kicked a man in the head as he lies on the pavement.
The shocking incident was part of a fight outside the Roscoe Street nightclub whose cheap booze offer has been condemned by Oldham’s top police officer..
A 20-year-old man was taken to hospital with head injuries. Earlier, a bouncer suffered a serious facial injury when he was bitten by thug.
A 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old arrested on suspicion of assault have been released on bail.
The club’s January sale which ran on Fridays hit the national headlines and was attacked by health experts and politicians. It allowed revellers to get their glass refilled as many times as they wanted between 11pm and 3am. Around 200 braved the cold to queue for the club to open on Friday, the last day of the offer. Some boasted of drinking 17 pints or 20 vodkas at the club the week before.
Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said Oldham town centre was on its last chance — but that it was not up to him to say if Tokyo should be closed.
He said: “The council doesn’t have the the power to dictate the price. But it does have the power to amend the licence.
“I think this is the last chance for Oldham town centre.”
Chief Supt Caroline Ball, head of Oldham Police, said the police did not agree with the offer — but also blamed the press.
She added: “The irresponsible reporting of the drinks offer at the club this week and the publicity surrounding it meant the venue was considerably busier than usual.
“The increase in capacity inevitably led to some incidents of violence.
“As I have said previously we strongly discourage binge drinking and any offer that may encourage it. However, the onus must be put on those people who go out in Oldham and drink excessively.”
Tokyo manager John Johnson said the bouncer was assaulted by a man, believed to have been high on drugs, who was refused entry while the press incited problems outside.
He added: “I stand by the deal because 99 per cent of Oldham people came, enjoyed themselves, and left peacefully. The people of Oldham deserve to have a genuine offer and they deserve to have a good night out.”
Have Your Say
well done you,you scum of a coward,kicking an unconcious man in the head,i hope your parents are proud of you,so mr big tough guy,i hope your named shamed and sent away for a long time,you are not only a disgrace to the town,but to the lower levels of the gutter,and dear mr woolas,get your act together and sort it out.
Ch Supt Ball is stupid blaming the press. She even added to the press coverage with her own view before this event took place! You cannot blame the press for reporting such a newsworthy event and ludicrous alcohol price and also what might happen. And surprise, surprise, what the press and other sensible people thought might happen - did! The plods need to get their act together.
my husband was also assaulted on saturday nightin Oldham. he was in a queue in a takeaway waiting for his food. A young lad hit him out of the blue, for no reason at all, nothing was said, my husband hadn't done anything. He has a broken jaw, needs facial surgery, pins plates and fixators. I hope they catch the people who think that this behaviour is ok, my husband could have been killed.
I just hope that they throw the book away on this one!! There can be NO mistake that the thug is guilty. He needs to be sent down for a LONG time. I just hope the other poor chap is going to be ok. (Whatever the circumstances there is no need for that).
I'd just like to add to my previous submission about the cowardly moron kicking somebody in the head. It's about time this offence was treated much more seriously. Many people have been killed or (to some even worse) been made totally paralysed by such actions. I hope the nasty oaf in this case gets a proper jail sentence, but he'll probably escape with the ubiquitous 'suspended sentence'.
this club has existed for 10 years or so without major incidents! why now is it bad?
not anywhere in any report does it say that the trouble occured with people from inside the club. this all seems to have happened outside and they could have come from anywhere!
the press have been the root cause of the problems. this night has occcured for 3 weeks before without them even realising!
Its fortunate that we have in the Armed Services, men and womem who are not afraid to stand up and be counted,I assume the onlookers in the pictures are NOT in the Services?
I wonder what these thugs think of themselves when they sober up ? Ashamed or still think they did good ? Sorry to hear about your husband Tracey- hope he gets well soon but you wouldn't catch me going to Oldham of an evening !!
I see the results of actions like this almost everyday, but mostly weekends. It occurs everywhere, this club is no exception. I'm supportive of the press publishing photographs like this to highlight what reckless behaviour comes from drinking/drugs. It's nothing new and the media have not exacerbated the problem like some people are saying. Mindless thugs like this one seen KICKING an unconscious person in the head deserve locking up.
This photographer obviously thought it was more important to get an `action shot for the front page` than step in and help this defenceless lad laid flat out on the floor.
We are returning to Oldham after five years in the Middle East where there is very little crime as the courts and rules are very strict, we have no problems, if anyone causes trouble they are fined, put in prison and then deported. Think the UK should follow the same strict regulations otherwise nothing will change. Hope we are not sorry to return ?????
I am sorry garypem but the photographer would probably have ended up with the first guy on the floor. The best way to stop this nutter is to use the photo and give evidence in court and see the guy sent down.
Oldham is a violent town, I got hospitalized one night - through no fault of my own and decided that I'd had enough and subsequently left the town forever, never to return!
I do think however, that the Tokyo Project gets more than its fair share of reportage from this newspaper.
mr woolas i think theres only you that wants to change things in oldham it's a scum town now shame though its my town n i love it stop all the hand outs then they've got no money to buy their false courage revoke licenses that would help please mr woolas do something for oldham get rid of this rubbish for us
GARYPEM2595
You make a rather stupid remark. You have no idea of how close the photographer was and indeed no knowledge of the circumstances around that area. There were people seemingly standing close by who didn't APPEAR to help - but they might have done as or just after the photo was taken. In any event, the photographer could not have instantly stopped the thug kicking out and at least we have documented evidence now. And that's what photgraphers do!
i understand this lad is out of order but there was obviously a reason why they wer fightin, althought never should be hurt the way he was, it was clearly taken out of control by the drink but no one knows the real reason why this lad was hurt. I was at the nightclub that night and no fightin went on inside,i thought it was a good night out.
the same offer is at livingstones bt they have been doing it for months and i know there arnt any trouble there due to the fact i work there. There are miner scuffles but thats it. and that lad in the pic goes to livins as well and as far as i know he dosent start any probs there so not sure why he is there.
why are no newspapers properly highlighting that these thugs hadn't been in the club in the first place?
because they've thrust the club into the limelight and atracted these thugs in the first place. ultimately its their fault thats why!
I was also at the club on this night and I never even realised that there was a fight going on until the police entered the club to remove those who had been involved. I agree that this fight is not the clubs fault and not at one point did i feel unsafe while inside the club as the bouncers and police dealt with it almost instantly. I just hope the idiot doing the kicking is given a hefty sentence and learns his lesson
i think its stupid how the press is saying that just because its cheap beer all these fights are breaking out..its encouraging binge drinking etc..not everyone goes out and gets plastered? most people have a limit but only the 'binge drinkers' get noticed? Its all stereotypical, cheap beer or not people will still find the money to drink and cause the same problems?
last week Ch Supt Ball said the town centre was a safe place!!! she would do well to watch the Sky news reports from this last weekend, we had a Sergeant calling it the Wild West as well-get a grip stop blaming everyone else, now its the press, last week it was the council. Its a partnership approach, lean on the partners. Too many clubs, too many filthy take aways, too many drugs
By PeterboroughBlue @ 02/02/2009 12:49:59
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