COPS TRY TO CANCEL CHRISTMAS

15-11-2006

West Midlands police recently imposed so many restrictions on Birmingham's Carling Academy when it sought approval for an increased capacity that the club tried having the agreement to its extra numbers reversed. Now Edward Cameron reveals that the Custard Factory faces the cancellation of Christmas.

New Year's Eve in Birmingham could be dealt a major blow if the police have their way at today's meeting of the city council's licensing committee.

West Midlands Police have objected to the licence for the Custard Factory to have a temporary event notice. As of now the only reason given by Inspector Angie Green is that recent events have resulted in severe overcrowding and disorder.

She promises to reveal full details at the meeting, but in any event the consequences for one of the city's premier nightspots could be devastating.

And it begs the question, especially in light of the recent Carling Academy row, how many other clubs might this be happening to?

Having finally shed the "boring Birmingham" tag foisted upon us by our Quaker forebears, are the cops now cracking down again and acting as the city's official killjoys?