DRUNKEN and violent incidents at a Felixstowe nightclub have put the premises' future at risk.Police have objected to The Wave in Sea Road having its public entertainment licence renewed – and now its owners are being asked to meet councillors to explain their conduct.

By Richard Cornwell

DRUNKEN and violent incidents at a Felixstowe nightclub have put the premises' future at risk.

Police have objected to The Wave in Sea Road having its public entertainment licence renewed – and now its owners are being asked to meet councillors to explain their conduct.

The town's police said fights and anti-social behaviour had broken out when guests were asked to pay £10 to enter the club with all drink then free.

Another time the venue hosted a male striptease performance with full frontal nudity which police said was bordering on being lewd or obscene.

Suffolk Coastal council's licensing and health committee will decide on Tuesday whether The Wave and its pre-club pub Bar None can keep their entertainment licenses.

The owners, Manchester Inns Ltd, which owns four premises in Felixstowe, have been invited to attend the meeting to answer questions.

In a report to the committee, council chief executive Tom Griffin is critical of Manchester Inns and highlights a number of problems at The Wave and Bar None.

He is recommending that The Wave's licence be refused until the owners have carried out work outlined in a report by fire officers to make sure everyone attending is safe.

Work needed at The Wave – which can cater for 430 people – includes more emergency lighting, strengthening of flooring and improvements to fire doors.

Council officers also suggest its hours should be cut from 3am to 2am, and entertainment should be restricted to music and dancing only.

Mr Griffin said one of the main problems was the huge turnover in staff at Manchester Inns with many of them young and inexperienced. There had been six people named on the licence in 17 months.

"The council has worked extremely hard to try to ensure that all those involved with the running of these premises receive advice and guidance as to their licensing responsibilities," said Mr Griffin.

"However, problems have been ongoing and it has proved impossible to keep pace with the change of personnel."

Police said: "The turnover of employees working for Manchester Inns is high. They tend to employ young and inexperienced staff, which is further cause for concern when considering their ability to lawfully run licensed premises, and, in particular, a nightclub.

"Both The Wave and Bar None, when visited recently, have breached public entertainment licence regulations by having fire exit doors blocked and structural safety work not completed, amongst various other minor breaches of entertainment regulations."

The report said Douglas Glendon, one of the company directors, accepted a formal caution for failing to comply with the conditions attached to a public entertainment licence in October.

No-one was available today from Manchester Inns at The Wave to comment on the report.