South Yorkshire PCC: tighter security needed at bars and clubs after stabbings
It's after six people were injured in a Sheffield bar on New Year's Day
South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Comissioner's told Hallam bars and clubs must rethink their security to stop people being stabbed in their venues.
Two men remain in a serious condition in hospital with stab or slash wounds after an incident in Crystal bar in Sheffield on New Year's Day.
Four other men were also injured - the bar's now been closed by police for seven days.
Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire's PCC, says bars and clubs need to doing more to prevent incidents like that:
"There should be no way in which anyone should be able to take a blade into a nightclub. The other clubbers don't want it, it's bad for the reputation of the club and if people are seriously hurt or injured, it can lead to the club being closed.
"There are always little gangs of people hanging about on the pavements but there seem to be security men on the door but it's clearly not working if people are getting through with knives and blades so I think the clubs need to think and take advice from South Yorkshire Police as to what more they can do."
Police say the incident at Crystal bar in Sheffield may have involved broken glass - but they're not ruling out the use of a knife.
No arrests have been made and officers say there are currently no descriptions of the attackers.
The force says it's now considering measures like working with door staff, and reviewing search policies and opening times. It's also reviewing the security in all licensed premises to prevent the use of bladed articles.
Dr Billings agrees that something needs to be done:
"One wonders why the security is seeminly not working if people are getting into club with blades. South Yorkshire Police need to talk to clubs and clubs need to take their responsibility seriously as well.
"Whether that means they put some sort of knife arch in place that would detect these things, get them off people, I don't know, but something needs to be done on the part of the clubs. It can't just be a South Yorkshire Police responsibility. All the police are doing is responding to incidents. We want to stop these things happening in the first place."