Revealed: Details of the incidents at a West Street bar which police now want to suspend their licence

Since last June, Sussex Police have been called to the Oxygen bar in West Street, Brighton, more than 20 times and are now calling for a the venue to have its licence suspended for three months.

Sussex Police have revealed to The Argus the list of incidents which have raised their concerns.

A young woman was raped after leaving the venue in December, a glass attack left a victim with blood pouring from his head and needing stitches and a man slammed his girlfriend’s head into a table.

In the most recent incidents punters were regularly so drunk they could not remember what had happened to them and CCTV equipment did not work properly.

The bar has already been heavily criticised in the past for challenging customers to drink a potentially lethal cocktail of 42 shots – all with offensive, sexually aggressive names.

Friends of a young woman who had been playing drinking games at the bar became concerned when she disappeared midway through their night out.

She was found wandering around Lewes Road having been raped by a man she left the bar with.

Police have been unable to catch the rapist or successfully prove whether her drink was spiked because she had no memory of the attack.

Sussex Police added in their report: “It was also seen on CCTV during the investigation that she was unsteady on her feet and was unable to light her cigarette upon leaving the bar.

“This is a further example of staff at Oxygen not exercising a duty of care towards patrons, with both bar staff continuing to serve intoxicated people and door staff not intervening.”

Things got so bad at the bar that police officers went in undercover and caught bar staff serving alcohol to two underage children.

After months of trying to resolve issues with the bar, police licensing officers decided they had no choice but to try to have the licence reviewed.

Sussex Police has now asked Brighton and Hove City Council to place a number of restrictions on the venue – which is licensed as a café/bar.

The force is asking for “vertical drinking” to be banned meaning all customers will have to be seated at a table and served by a waitress or waiter, and new electronic ID scanners and CCTV equipment installed.

Sussex Police head of licensing Jean Irving said: “We believe that the requests we have made to the licensing committee are appropriate and proportionate responses to the failure of the Oxygen management to promote the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the protection of children from harm.

“There appears to be a persistent problem of children being served there and staff have allowed customers to get excessively drunk by continuing to serve them when they have had already had too much which has led to violent incidents.

“We have tried working with the management over a long period of time but this has not led to a reduction in problems at the venue and we have got to the point where tougher action is needed.”

The Argus tried to contact Oxygen bar and licensee and owner Saeid Zargham, but no one responded to our requests for a comment.

THE SUSSEX POLICE LOG

Thursday August 7 – 03:00hrs Door staff struggling with two aggressive males. One removed after being sick in the disabled toilets. Friend also ‘extremely intoxicated’ and very obstructive towards police.

Sunday 31st August 2014, 00:32hrs Male pulled his girlfriend’s hair and pushed her head into a table within the venue. Male suspect was arrested for actual bodily harm. Suspect was slurring his words and was drunk.

Sunday 14th September 2014, 00:54hrs Man assaulted but so intoxicated he was unable to say how. CCTV showed victim being punched to the floor and then kicked twice in the chest.

Sunday 30th November 2014, 02:42hrs Male made homophobic comments. Suspect was ‘clearly drunk’ and while talking to officers became argumentative and refused to leave the area.

Wednesday 3rd December 2014, at approximately 22:50hrs Woman told police she believed she had been raped and that her drink may have been spiked after playing drinking games at the bar the night before.

Saturday 6th December 2014, 00:30hrs Scuffle outside Oxygen. Male had a bloody nose. A group came out and a fight started. Male was clearly drunk, abusive and shouting in the street.

Sunday 21 December 2014, 02:03hrs Man had blood pouring from his head needing three stitches. Victim described as ‘very drunk’ had been talking to a female inside the venue when another male picked up a glass and threw it at his head. Suspect arrested for Grievous Bodily Harm – in custody found also to be in possession of cocaine.

Friday 20th February 2015, 23:10hrs Police test purchase operation. Boy and girl both aged 17 not challenged by door staff entering bar. They ordered two bottles of alcoholic drink each. At no point were the children asked their ages or to produce any form of identification.

PREVIOUS INCIDENTS AT OXYGEN

In August 2009 Oxygen had its licence suspended for a week after being caught selling drinks to youngsters three times in nine months.

In October 2009 the bar was criticised for being part of a discount pub crawl called “boozed Brighton” which offered revellers 13 drinks in seven bars for £10.

Last July The Argus reported that the bar has been ordered by police to stop promotions including 42 shots for £105 and a “family pack” of Jagerbombs – police said the names for the cocktails were “deeply offensive” and the alcohol content “potentially lethal”.