POLICE ACADEMY

17-10-2006

Birmingham's Academy night-club wants to expand capacity by 300 people and the police don't like it because...well, they just don't like it. A weird one forEdward Cameron who wonders if the words "police" and "academy" are always good for a laugh

Bosses at Birmingham's Carling Academy are set to find out today (Tuesday) whether they will be allowed to cram an extra 300 people in for gigs and club nights.

Currently the Dale End venue, a popular setting for rock concerts, can have up to 2,700 people on site.

Managers Brumbeat Ltd will also put in a new fire door.

But the police have sent a three-sentence letter to Birmingham City Council objecting to the plans.

PC Karen Jones simplysaid that the police didn't want the extra revellers ‘on grounds of Crime and Disorder issues, and Public Safety'.

She added that she was also still waiting for an action plan and operating schedule.

Having been at the Academy for a number of sold out gigs I fail to see where they might stick the extra people, but on the grounds that the police have given it seems a bit ropey to object to just 300 more people when the best part of 3,000 are already spilling out onto the street at the same time.

The council's licensing authority will meet at 10.30am.