Atik 'unfairly 'singled out' in violence against women remarks, says nightclub
Atik said it is important "the positive work we are doing is fairly presented" after a panel was told the nightclub is a hotspot for violence against women in Havering - Credit: Google Images
Atik nightclub has complained it was "unfairly singled out" by a police boss when he reported on the force's efforts to tackle violence against women.
Met Police officers were called to Atik nightclub in Romford 10 times in the last year, making it one of the area’s hotspots for the offence.
This came out at a March 14 Havering Council crime and disorder sub-committee meeting, when Det Ch Supt Paul Trevers, head of policing for Havering, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham, told the panel that South Street was an area of particular concern.
The road is home to both Atik and The Goose.
He said: “The offences are stretching along South Street, including at Atik nightclub, which I’m sure you are all aware of the problems we’ve been having with that.
“We’ve had a reallocation of resources into the centre and certainly are trying to nip this in the bud, we’ve had 12 officers on double-pay overtime to prevent offending behaviour.”
A police map showing violence against women hotspots in Romford town centre - Credit: Met Police
An Atik spokesperson has responded by saying management feels “singled out” by Det Ch Supt Trevers’ remarks, as they claimed the 10 incidents reflect just 0.01 per cent of the club's footfall.
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A Met spokesperson said the crimes reported inside Atik include allegations of one rape, three sexual assaults and five physical assaults.
The alleged rape is still under investigation, while no further action has been taken following the other reports due either to a lack of evidence or because the victims chose not to prosecute.
Atik told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The safety of our guests is our number one priority and we don’t tolerate any kind of violence or antisocial behaviour in our club.
“We are by far the largest late-night venue in the region, let alone the town, with a capacity of 2,000 on trading nights, so it is unfair to compare us with much smaller venues.
“It’s important that the positive work we are doing is fairly presented and that statistics like these are not misinterpreted.”
The spokesperson said the club has a strict door policy, with ID scanners and metal detector arches on entry.
They added staff are a visible presence inside, with onsite medics and a quiet room for guests to be looked after.
The Goose has also been approached for comment.
Atik recently came under scrutiny after several women had their phones stolen while at the nightclub.
