Wolverhampton nightclub’s plan to re-open after stabbing is blocked over ‘concerns’ about ex-owner

Mirror Mirror in Wolverhampton was forced to close after a stabbing at the venue in June with the owners coming into criticism for breaching conditions of their licence.

A move to re-open the club with new owner David Henry was rejected by Wolverhampton Council’s licensing committee over concerns with his links to the old owner James Reade.

The hearing was told how the expelled owner would have no involvement in the ‘new’ Mirror Mirror, located at the Waterside Industrial Estate, Ettingshall Road, and the new owner wanted a “clean slate.”

However, councillors also heard how a fire inspector was given a tour of Mirror Mirror by its former owner James Reade while claiming to be the new owner.

Mr Henry, who admitted during the hearing he had no experience of running a club, said he was aware of the stabbing in June but did not realise the venue had been forced to shut down before he bought it.

He said: “I can only assure you that he will have nothing to do with the business.

“I feel a bit tarnished by them.”

Mr Henry said he regretted asking the former owner Mr Reade “for a favour” as he was at work.

He said: “I thought it was a good idea at the time.

“I wasn’t aware of any of the issues that he had with the various parties. I can only apologise.”

West Midlands Police said it was concerned about the relationship between the current and former owners and said the application had been made “deceptively".

The force went on to demand the application be turned down.

The council’s solicitor Ronald Sempebwa said to Mr Henry: “One would expect you to recognise that you are actually aware of this and address these issues with some knowledge.

"You can’t just say I bought the business and be slightly in the air about the circumstances.”

At the hearing on October 11, Sgt Steph Reynolds from West Midlands Police said she did not believe the application had been made in good faith.

She said: “There are concerns over the involvement of the previous licence holder and the honesty of this applicant and then the concerns over noise from this premises before the application has even been granted.

“West Midlands Police would not have trust and confidence in a designated licence holder if they conspire to deceive responsible authorities in relation to a lawful licence application as has happened in this circumstance.”

The force said a man was stabbed in the leg at Mirror Mirror in the early hours of June 9 this year.

Mirror Mirror was then ordered to close with West Midlands Police immediately asking for the venue’s licence to be reviewed.

While the hearings were held behind closed doors over sensitive information and an ongoing criminal investigation, the council said all of the conditions in the club’s licence were breached during the stabbing.

The club was supposed to have installed a knife arch metal detector at the club’s entrance as part of the agreement but did not do so. CCTV was also not working.

Rob Edge, who represented the absent Mr Reade at the licensing hearings, admitted in July there had been “shortcomings".

As well as the concerns from the council and police, more than a dozen objections were made by neighbours in homes a stone’s throw from the industrial estate, saying the continuous loud noise was “sending them mad".

“Playing music from giant PA systems and using sub-woofers that produce bass of such low frequencies, and amplitude, that it penetrates through the entire building with a monotonous drone, that goes on for hours late into the night, and is impossible to avoid,” one objector said. “Basically sending you mad as you cannot block it out.”

Neighbours had also complained to the council that “deafening” noises were heard from the club in August and September when it was supposed to be closed.