POLICE are attempting to close a Bournemouth nightspot they claim is plagued by drug problems, violence and inept management.

A damning report alleges that the problems at Klute and Funki Sushi in Exeter Road are so bad that people visiting it are at “huge risk of injury or overdose”.

Police claim:

• The venue has been the scene of several serious crimes, including one incident of a person suffering a fractured skull and two incidents of people suffering fractured eye sockets.

• There are high levels of cocaine misuse by both customers and staff.

• Unprofessional door staff do not break up fights but instead turf brawling customers on to the street to continue fighting.

• An instance of missing CCTV meant that an alleged assault against a woman could not be investigated.

• The venue has breached its licence by selling alcohol in glass bottles, one of which was later used as a weapon in an unprovoked assault.

The police are going through both the courts and the council in their bid to close the premises down. A court judgement is due today and the council’s licensing board will meet tomorrow to hear the police’s evidence.

Paperwork submitted to the council states the problems are “deeply entrenched” in the set up at Klutes and cannot be solved by simply changing the management.

It adds that drug swabbings found evidence of cocaine in public areas of the club, a mobile DJ unit and inside the management office.

A police statement from Sergeant Steven Lyne said crime levels at Klute and Funki Sushi were “disproportionately high” in comparison to other venues in the town.

“In my professional opinion, the fact that people are becoming intoxicated by using controlled drugs and mixing them with alcohol has led to the higher levels of crime and disorder we have seen at the premises,” his statement says .

“Further to this, the widespread use of drugs in a staff area gives me no confidence in any staff ability to stop the problem.

“This in turn puts huge risk of injury or overdose to people using the venue and to the immediate community who hear and witness disorder in the surrounding area.”

Philip Day, partner at Horsey Lightly Fynn, who is representing Klute and Funki Sushi, said in a statement: “On Monday, October 24, Dorset Police used other emergency powers to force the immediate closure of Klute and Funki Sushi.

“The use of these particular powers has to be reviewed by the Court and a hearing took place at Poole Magistrates’ Court the following day, Tuesday October 25 before District Judge House.

“The evidence produced by the police (much of which is duplicated in the application due to be considered by the Licensing Board on Tuesday) was strongly contested.

“At the end of the first day of the hearing, the District Judge could have ordered that the premises remained closed, but he instead decided to allow Klute to reopen and the premises have been trading normally for the last month.

“Consideration of the evidence has taken two further days of the Court’s time and a final decision is due to be announced on Monday, November 28.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further pending the decision,” he added.