Police close down nightclub amid disorder fears

Police said they had “no option” but to close the Cactus Club in Earsham Street, Burngreave, pictured above, after receiving intelligence about “a specific threat”.

Inspector Jon Ekwubiri, from the Burngreave Safer Neighbourhood policing team, said: “We received intelligence from a reliable, credible source about an incident that was going to take place at the club involving a named individual.

“Because of the intelligence we had no option, and we had to put a closure order in place as we believed serious public disorder was imminent.

“We had to weigh up the risks to members of the public and staff.”

The club must remain closed for up to 28 days pending the outcome of a council licensing board hearing which will take place within the next month.

In May the club was banned from extending its opening hours after police raised concerns about gun, drug and knife crime. And in July licence holder Joseph Fanty had his application to open until 3am for a ‘family fun day’ rejected by licensing bosses.

A spate of shootings and stabbings have taken place either in or just outside the Earsham Street club in the last year. Two months ago someone standing outside the club was shot at from a nearby car after “an altercation” between two gangs.

In the past few months incidents in and around the club have included four shootings and three stabbings.