Sheffield nightclub owners face licensing review after 'targeted' crash in which woman nearly lost her hand

A woman who reportedly had to have her hand stitched back on was among eight casualties following what police described as a ‘targeted’ crash which ended with the vehicle smashing through the front of Bellairz nightclub on Shoreham Street in the city centre.

South Yorkshire Police have applied for a licensing review on the grounds of ‘serious crime and disorder’, and the club’s owners are now awaiting the outcome of this review before they can reopen.

A licensing review is standard procedure following a serious incident like the one which happened outside Bellairz during the early hours of Sunday, July 10.

When could Bellairz nightclub reopen?

The club’s owners, who asked not to be named, told The Star there had previously been no trouble at the venue and they were shocked by what happened that night.

They said: “Enquiries are ongoing and we don’t know when we’ll be able to reopen. We haven’t had any previous problems here and we feel this could have happened anywhere.

“It all happened so quickly. Everyone missed the build-up to what happened and we didn’t see what happened.

“We’ve reached out to the victims and we’re trying to keep in touch with them to let them know we’re still here to support them as best we can.

“We’re still shaken up about what happened and we’re still trying to process everything. There are a few of the victims we haven’t herd from and we would ask them to contact us via our Facebook or Instagram accounts.”

Gofundme appeal launched for victims of ‘targeted’ crash outside nightclub

The licensing review relates to DTour, which the club’s owners said was the venue’s previous name. It was scheduled to be considered by Sheffield Council’s licensing sub-committee on Monday, August 8, but the owners said they had now been told the hearing would not take place until the end of the month.

The owners, who are a mother and daughter, previously told how the incident had happened during the daughter’s birthday event. The daughter said she had been upstairs getting changed so didn’t see what happened and came down to what she said ‘looked like a horror movie’.

They said they hope to reopen as soon as they are allowed and are looking into what can be done to improve security, which could include introducing ID scanners at the venue.

They have set up a gofundme appeal to help those injured in the crash.

Two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

One eyewitness told how a woman had to have her hand stitched back on after being injured in the crash.

He described himself as ‘one of the lucky ones’, saying he would have been seriously injured too had it not been for the number of people standing between him and the wall.

“What happened has ruined some people’s lives," he added.

Two men, aged 33 and 36, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They were both bailed pending further enquiries.