Club’s £5.99 drink night goes ahead

TOKYO nightclub where the drinks offer has whipped up controversy

A CONTROVERSIAL £5.99 all you can drink promotion will go ahead tonight after police and licensing officials said the offer had not caused an increase in crime.

Revellers at Tokyo nightclub in Roscoe Street swop £5.99 for a voucher which they use to get their first drink.

They can get their empty glass refilled as many times as they want throughout the night.

Despite calls for the promotion — which has been running throughout January — to be scrapped Tokyo’s manager John Johnson has defended the offer and has not ruled out plans for similar schemes in future.

He said: “I met members of the licensing department on Wednesday and they said there had been no rise at all in criminal activity during the promotion.

“While they don’t support the promotion they understand why clubs have to run offers like these.

“They said they are very satisfied with the way the club is run and reports from the police confirm there hasn’t been an increase in incidents.

“We carefully monitor behaviour at the club on all nights — not just promotion nights — and we are very strict on keeping trouble out of the club because we want to provide a good value and safe night out for the people of Oldham.

“Throughout the £5.99 promotion, we have calculated that customers have an average of 3.8 drinks while they are here.

“That is hardly drinking to huge excess and shows the people of Oldham have been responsible.

“I think they have not indulged massively because promotions like this are not a new thing in Oldham it is just at a different venue.

“It is a double-sided issue because we often see people turning up to our front door already intoxicated. You can’t force pubs and clubs to stop running promotions unless you stop supermarkets doing the same thing.

“With the economic situation like it is people will buy loads of cheap booze from the supermarket, drink it at home then come out to a club later on.

“Gone are the days of people having a few drinks in a pub — why would they when they can buy it so cheap at the supermarket?”