Coronavirus: Sheffield nightclub announces closure and calls for BAN on gatherings

Tank, on Arundel Gate, announced on Monday night that it was shutting down until further notice following the latest government advice for people to avoid pubs, clubs and other venues to restrict the spread of COVID-19.

In a Facebook update it said: “In light of the Government’s latest COVID-19 announcement regarding public gatherings and now telling people to avoid all clubs/bars etc Tank will no longer be open until the appropriate time of doing so.

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“All tickets purchased for any future event will still be valid on their rescheduled dates which we will know more on in the coming weeks/months.

“We’re especially sorry to everyone that was looking forward to tonight and this weekends events with it being such short notice.”

The nightclub went on to accuse the Government of being ‘terrible with their guidelines’ and having not ‘helped our industry in anyway’.

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“If people are going to be told to avoid clubs/bars/theatres then why have we also not been told that shopping centres/businesses with large work places/schools etc are off limits?” it asked.

“These are unprecedented times where no one knows what’s the right or wrong thing to do.

“The government should step up and actually BAN all of these places with gatherings so that we have clarity on what we should do.

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“Telling people to AVOID a few specific places where possible isn’t helping anyone and just leaves businesses in an position of complete uncertainty of what to do next.

“They’re basically not being clear on this to avoid insurers having to pay out and so they don’t have to help compensate these businesses in any way.”

Tank added that it many staff relying on their wages and warned that if the venue were to remain closed for too long it may have to shut permanently.

“But right now and most importantly we hope you all stay safe throughout this time,” it signed off.

The decision has been widely praised by the club’s followers on Facebook, who also criticised the Government’s response to the pandemic.