Oasis Lounge summary review

History of violence at Birmingham nightclub lands it in hot water with council and police

Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter | Tuesday 7th June 2022 10:02am

A change in staff could save a Birmingham venue, despite it being involved in several violent incidents over the last eight months.

Cave nightclub on Lower Tower Street in Newtown, otherwise known as Oasis Lounge, was the site of a double stabbing, an alleged rape and a glassing all in one weekend last month (May 2022).

During that weekend, officers were first called on Saturday (May 7) to reports that a woman had been raped in a car nearby to Cave. Sometime later, paramedics and police responded to a fight outside the nightclub. 

Two men were found with knife wounds; one with a wound to the chest and another who had been stabbed four times in the back. The men were treated at hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Specially trained firearms officers with live ammunition were deployed to the scene. Cave has not been open since.

The nightclub was already on police radar after an incident in October 2021 when a clubber was chased out of the venue, then operating under the name After Dark, by six men and slashed on the hand with a knife in the car park. 

The offender was never identified, but this incident did prompt police to enforce metal detectors and full-body searches. An ID scanner was also set up in the venue ‘whenever licensable activities were being carried out’. 

However, city chiefs heard today that in the early hours of May 7, the head bouncer took the ‘unilateral decision’ to turn the ID scanner off because the queue was moving too slow. The door security company has reportedly been dismissed on that basis.

Sarah Clover, a barrister representing the venue, said: “What occurred in terms of the violence is what went on in the street outside, the precise details of which are unclear.

Ms Clover said that 34 cameras had now been installed covering ‘every angle possible’, and that the new security team will be fitted with radios and body cameras. West Midlands Police said that there had been ‘a number of managerial failings’ at Oasis Lounge on a ‘deliberate repeated occurrence’.  

In a deal reached with West Midlands Police, [the DPS and licence holder] will no longer have any involvement in the management of Cave. Furthermore, an earlier closing time of 2am and last entry of 1am will be enforced and a new security company will be hired. CCTV must be covering the ID scanner at all times. 

Ms Clover added: “There is not only going to be a change of guard but a change in style. This will no longer be a nightclub. 

“The hours are reduced and the style will be more of a restaurant bar with no vertical drinking. The ambience and refurbishment will be seated and predominantly for food with waitress service.”

Councillors are now deliberating over this case and will announce their decision within five working days. 

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