It is just one week till Yates could be forced to close permanently after 200 New Year’s Eve revellers were involved in a mass brawl.

The Friar Street bar is currently closed, having already had its licence suspended earlier this month following an emergency review.

Neighbouring nightclub Matchbox could lose its licence next week after Thames Valley Police called in a review.

What has happened so far?

Two police incidents this month including fights and ‘disorder’ with hundreds of people involved prompted police to call for an urgent review of Yates in Reading.

Following a meeting with the council on January 8, the Friar street bar’s licence was suspended until January 31, the date of a full review of the licence.

Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) Licensing sub-committee will decide what further action to take on January 31.

RBC’s licensing team are in support of Thames Valley Police and have recommended the committee “seriously consider revoking the licence”.

Peter Narancic, licensing officer at RBC, has suggested three alternative forms of action “if the committee believe the premises can operate lawfully and responsibly in the future”:

  • More robust conditions
  • A reduction in closing hours
  • A period of suspension to fully implement conditions and ensure management and staff are fully trained.

A Yates spokesman said: the group is co-operating with the local licensing teams ahead of the meeting.

New Year’s Eve brawl and “agitated” birthday party attendees

More than 20 police were scrambled to the scene as the fight reportedly broke out at Yates New Year’s Eve party inside the venue shortly after 2am.

Just days later another mass incident involving 150 ‘agitated’ teenagers happened outside the club in Friar Street, prompting police to raise the alarm over the club’s licence.

Teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 were there for a private birthday party at the venue, having been sold £2 wristbands, but those under 18 were not allowed to enter, which led to “pockets of disorder”.

“No more urban drill music”: What Stonegate said

The company announced at the meeting earlier this month it has now dismissed Yates Reading’s designated premises supervisor (DPS) and appointed a new one.

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The area manager has been removed from their position pending disciplinary procedures.

Yates Reading was voluntarily closed by Stonegate – which runs the venue – ahead of the meeting.

Stonegate said it will no longer hold externally promoted events at the venue and will ban the playing of “urban and drill genres” at all its venues across the country.

The New Year’s Eve party was advertised as “playing the best in urban music”, with hip-hop, afrobeats and bashment on the poster but no mention of drill music.

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It will also review the security company used, after door staff reportedly hid and Walkabout staff had to help manage the incidents.

But Paul Wright, director of operations and licensing, said the door staff at Walkabout are from the same security company and this highlights the failure of the DPS.

Lawyer Michael Bromley-Martin, representing Stonegate, said: “These were serious events of disorder. The only thing that can be said is happily no one was seriously injured and there doesn’t appear to be the use of weapons which is often the case at urban events.”

Mr Bromley-Martin, who said “the urban or drill music clientele has caused this problem”, will not be representing the company at the January 31 meeting as he is defending a drill artist at another hearing.