Tithebarn Street venue scene of a horrific late-night shooting

The Preston nightclub which was the scene of a horrific late-night shooting has been shut down.Preston Council's licensing sub-committee decided to revoke the premises licence of Club Arena after hearing that gangs were at the venue and serious breaches of health and safety laws had taken place.Coun David Hammond, chairman of the committee, said at the conclusion of the hearing at 6.30pm on Wednesday: "We have taken this decision after hearing and considering all the evidence.
"The only option for us is to revoke the licence."
The two-day hearing at Preston Town Hall was told how police believed gangs were using the Tithebarn Street venue.Environmental health officers had also described how they had serious concerns for the safety of staff and customers after electric cabling was found exposed and bottles of carbon dioxide were not kept secure.
Club owners Andrew Manville and his fiancée Helen McDonald, who both live in Blackpool, admitted the building was not safe, but insisted it was in an unsafe state when they took over the lease.