Town centre nightclub closed down

A town centre nightclub where a man was stabbed and later died has been closed down.
 
Sinclair’s, in Drake Street, has been closed following the death of John Lee Barrett, 31, who was stabbed during an incident at the bar on Christmas Day last year. Mr Barrett, who was from Harpurhey in Manchester, died two days later in hospital.

The police and council moved quickly following Mr Barrett’s death to force a temporary closure and the full review of the licence was heard on Wednesday.

In addition, Bojangles, which is next to Sinclair’s, also had its licence revoked at the hearing in Heywood’s Phoenix Centre.

Superintendent John Graves of Greater Manchester Police's Rochdale Division said: "In Rochdale, as in any town, there are hundreds of businesses licensed to sell alcohol and the vast majority of them are run in a professional manner.  Our activity today was about confronting two businesses, clearly linked, where the standards in management, responsibility and accountability fell far short of what the public of Rochdale expects. 

"Rochdale deserves to have a town centre to be proud of. The events on Christmas Day left an indelible mark on both Sinclair's Bar and Bojangles and we have now taken action to remove the threat posed by this blight on the town's landscape.

“While the tragic events which led to the death of John Barrett were a catalyst for our actions today, we are still investigating this incident and it will be the subject of separate court proceedings in the future.”