Club Icon closes
in wake of gun attack
Owners of a
nightclub where a devoted dad was gunned down have pledged to
toughen security after it was temporarily closed under new
powers.
Murder squad
detectives were yesterday continuing the hunt for the killer of
Damian Gordon, a 30-year-old father-of-one who was shot in the
doorway of or outside Club Icon near Bradford city centre.
A request by
Chief Superintendent Sarah Brown, commander of the Bradford
South Police, to suspend the club’s premises licence with
immediate effect has been supported by Bradford Council.
It is the first
time the police and the Council have used the Violent Crime
Reduction Act to temporarily close a club, said licensing panel
chairman, Councillor Peter Hill.
Coun Hill said:
“When somebody is shot dead, it is obviously a very, very
serious offence and there are an awful lot of questions to be
asked from the owners about the security of the club.”
A representative
speaking on behalf of Club Icon licensee Gillian Gordon said she
will challenge the panel’s decision to suspend the licence at a
review hearing next month.
He said the
security firm employing door staff at the time of the shooting,
about 3.30am on Sunday, has already been replaced.
A spokesman for
the Leeds-based firm ProTec, which operates door security at
other venues in Bradford, confirmed it had been in negotiations
with Club Icon with a view to taking over security.
Through her
spokesman Mrs Gordon – no relation to murder victim Damian
Gordon – said she wished to work with the police and the Council
to address any problems.
Councillor Hill
said the panel unanimously supported the police in using the new
powers to temporarily close the club when it held an emergency
meeting on Tuesday.
He said: “We
think that this is the first time this has been used in West
Yorkshire, if not the first in the country.
“The licensees
will give evidence to a review hearing and that information will
inform the decision given at the next review.”
Club Icon will
put forward evidence to the licensing panel which will decide
whether the premises licence will be re-instated.
The Club Icon
spokesman said: “The police are quite within their rights to do
what they think is correct but Club Icon is now looking at
turning things around.”
He said: “The
security company that was initially there and who were
responsible for the safety of people at the time of the shooting
is no longer there. We have a new security firm already in place
and we have been in talks with its directors about how to move
forward.”
Police are still
investigating the possibility that the killer of family man Mr
Gordon might have been captured on camera fleeing in a car from
the scene of the shooting.
Detectives have
been trawling footage taken by the Big Fish camera system.
West Yorkshire
detectives believe there is a link to Manchester. A number of
people from the city were in Club Icon at the time of the
shooting and police want anyone on the premises to contact them.
Mr Gordon, who
was born in Jamaica but lived with his wife and four-year-old
son in Swain House, Bradford, was shot in the chest. Police said
he was not known to them.
Anyone with
information can call the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team on
(01274) 376473, or text 07786 200806.
