Winchester boss: I’ve bought metal detector after V Club stabbing

LINKS: Mark Berry, owner of The Winchester live music venue at Poole Hill in Bournemouth, with Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch  co-ordinator Norman Decent, right LINKS: Mark Berry, owner of The Winchester live music venue at Poole Hill in Bournemouth, with Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Norman Decent, right

A NIGHTCLUB boss is building links with the community by sponsoring a neighbourhood watch scheme.

The Winchester in Bournemouth is supporting the Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch group and is working with co-ordinator Norman Decent.

Mark Berry, manager of the arts and entertainment venue, has also bought a metal detector to scan visitors after a man was knifed at another club.

He said: “I hate the thought of us causing any disruption here so that’s why I want to do as much as I can with the neighbourhood watch.”

The venue on Poole Hill welcomes around 200 people on some nights for live music, dance music and theatre performances.

Mark said he decided to invest in the metal detector after hearing about Ben Selby, 29, from Bournemouth, having his face slashed with a knife at the V Club in Exeter Road.

And he said he is excited about working with Norman.

“We want to let people know we’re receptive to feedback and want to make this sustainable in the community,” Mark added.

“That’s why it’s great to work with Norman.”

Norman has seen attendance at his meetings grow.

Dorset Police were no longer able to pay for the notices and flyers that he delivers so he had to start funding those himself until securing this new sponsorship.

Norman said: “The sponsorship will help us step up another level and I think this is beneficial for both of us.

“It’s all about promoting the safety of the community.”

Comments(12)

username is already in use says...
12:18pm Wed 13 Mar 13

good idea

Bob Bournemouth says...
12:40pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Someone with common sense at last! Maybe schools should do the same.

Baywolf says...
1:23pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Ok but what about glassing someone inside? Or beating someone to a bloody pulp? Drunken violence in the town centre and every club denying responsibility, too many and to few police no wonder the town is baron of families after 7 pm.

IDONTKNOWIFITISTRRUE says...
1:46pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Baywolf
The town is barren of families after 7 pm. as well.

tricky1007 says...
4:33pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Baywolf wrote:
Ok but what about glassing someone inside? Or beating someone to a bloody pulp? Drunken violence in the town centre and every club denying responsibility, too many and to few police no wonder the town is baron of families after 7 pm.
think you will find most if not all have plastic bottles and glasses now! and i agree its not a family friendly venue. Why did they not leave the area near the beach free of late night bars so it is more family friendly!

Bob49 says...
5:31pm Wed 13 Mar 13

"Why did they not leave the area near the beach free of late night bars so it is more family friendly!"

The same reason they thought it a good idea to give a nightclub license to an 18 year old.


The same reason that certain councillors with interests in hotels on the Westcliff have been marketing their places to a very cheap downmarket stag/hen clientele instead of upgrading their hotels towards more family friendly use.

V club is the end product of far deeper problems, rather than the cause.

ShuttleX says...
5:56pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Bob49 wrote:
"Why did they not leave the area near the beach free of late night bars so it is more family friendly!"

The same reason they thought it a good idea to give a nightclub license to an 18 year old.


The same reason that certain councillors with interests in hotels on the Westcliff have been marketing their places to a very cheap downmarket stag/hen clientele instead of upgrading their hotels towards more family friendly use.

V club is the end product of far deeper problems, rather than the cause.
I agree, but it goes deeper then you think. Has anybody else noticed how quiet Mr Beesley is on this matter?

Bournefre says...
9:34pm Wed 13 Mar 13

What is the obsession with everything having to be "family-friendly"? Are people not allowed to live in Bournemouth unless they have young children any more? Are "families" supposed to leave town once the children get to 18 and want to go out with their friends instead of their parents?
Why shouldn't people be allowed a night out where they are not surrounded by other people's screaming kids?

MrPitiful says...
11:14pm Wed 13 Mar 13

A bit rich this article.

Metal detectors and sponsoring local community projects is all well and good.

The problem is, like a lot of other venues, this place isn't without its problems either. Ask anyone who lives locally and attends there regularly and you will be shocked after reading this article.

It's just that the local media are either ignorant of them or just choose not to report them - instead choosing to concentrate their "reporting" on certain other venues in the town.

More balanced & better investigated reporting wouldn't go amiss please!

arti273 says...
8:47am Thu 14 Mar 13

MrPitiful wrote:
A bit rich this article.

Metal detectors and sponsoring local community projects is all well and good.

The problem is, like a lot of other venues, this place isn't without its problems either. Ask anyone who lives locally and attends there regularly and you will be shocked after reading this article.

It's just that the local media are either ignorant of them or just choose not to report them - instead choosing to concentrate their "reporting" on certain other venues in the town.

More balanced & better investigated reporting wouldn't go amiss please!
Unfortunately the business model of local media no longer allows for balanced reporting. Watch out for The Winchester's sponsorship of the What's On section in the Daily Echo.

Tachikoma says...
11:51am Thu 14 Mar 13

Airport style scanners should have been made mandatory for all pubs and clubs in Bournemouth after landlord Steven Galsworthy was stabbed in 2008.

Bournefre says...
9:59pm Thu 14 Mar 13

Tachikoma wrote:
Airport style scanners should have been made mandatory for all pubs and clubs in Bournemouth after landlord Steven Galsworthy was stabbed in 2008.
Good plan - that might reduce the amount of cutlery stolen from the Harvester.

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree