OWNERS of a nightclub in Reading are fighting to stay open as the police want to revoke their premises licence.

After Dark, on 112 London Street, has been a club since the 1970s, and hosts various nights including drag shows, 80s discos, and live bands.

However, Thames Valley Police claims the club has been running ‘high risk events’ attracting customers ‘with a propensity for extreme violence’.

UPDATE - How people in Reading have reacted to the news that After Dark could lose its licence 

Marie-Claire Peterson, a manager at After Dark, strongly denied this claim. She said: “This is a safe place. Everyone talks to everybody. There’s a community who come here regularly.”

Zee Khan, another manager, said the police’s claim related just to two events, both of which were cancelled. He said: “Anything the police say, we will do, we have done.”

Also, residents in a nearby flat have complained to Reading Borough Council several times that the club is too noisy, and plays music after the licensed hours, at 2am.

Rebecca Moon, an environmental health officer for the council, said: “There is regularly music coming from the club, that is clearly audible inside of the residents’ flat late at night, including with their windows closed.

“The environmental protection and nuisance team has given the premises a number of warnings, and recommendations, to resolve the noise problem but this has not been effective.”

Mr Khan said: “There’s one single family consistently complaining. I speak to them, we don’t have a nasty relationship at all.

“We got in a little bit of trouble at the beginning, but I believe we are now well on top of noise levels.”

The club is spending around £6,000 on soundproofing the venue, and hopes to have most of the work finished by October. The work includes isolation foam and two layers of acoustic plasterboard.

Soren Barrand, After Dark’s marketing manager, has been coming to the club since he was 18. He runs the recently launched LGBTQ nights. He said: “It’s one of the most chilled places in Reading.”

Declan Smyth, a licensing officer said: “Thames Valley Police would like to recommend revocation as the only guarantee available to safeguard members of the public while this business is operating in its current format and ownership.”

After Dark has recently started serving food, hosting comedy shows, art shows, and will this year become part of the Reading Fringe Festival.

Reading Borough Council will review the premises licence on April 18, and shortly after decide whether to revoke the licence.