Timepiece nightclub cleared to keep license after Freshers’ Week incident

Timepiece has been cleared to keep its license after a student fell backwards down stairs during a Freshers’ Week incident.

The director of the club, Sam King, has said the team feels “exonerated by the decision of the committee”, which saw lawyer David Dodds apply for a licensing review.

The committee heard claims that door staff had “failed to provide basic care” when the girl had been ill. However, Devon Live reports that councillors have not revoked Timepiece’s licence or disciplined staff members, though they have recommended further training and that a “welfare” officer be appointed.

The student-favourite club had “operated in a professional manner” in protecting the vulnerable girl, according to the committee.

Timepiece is a favourite among students via Google Maps

CCTV footage shows that after falling down the stairs, the student was assisted back to her feet by a female security officer, whose actions, councillors ruled, were “firm, but considerate”.

The girl later collapsed on a nearby street and friends, as well as medical student witnesses, rushed to her aid and called an ambulance.

Police found no evidence that indicated a spiking occurred; however, the student’s written statement said she had not consumed more than her typical volume of alcohol, and that she had begun to feel “unwell, dizzy, nauseous and unbalanced” after accepting a drink bought for her by a male student.

The application grounds for the licensing review cited “insufficient ID checks and searches on entry” which are “inconsistent with standards expected of a licensed premises”.

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The lawyer also noted that Timepiece had not conducted medical checks to assess the girl’s health. This was despite what David described as “obvious signs of medical distress”, including a weak pulse, breathing difficulty and foaming at the mouth, prompting her to be placed in the recovery position. Instead, the girl was told to move outside rather than receive on-site assistance.

However, staff said at no point during the night were they informed of a spiking incident or asked to call an ambulance.

Timepiece feels ‘exonerated’ by the decision

Timepiece director, Sam, said: “We feel exonerated by the decision of the committee and their findings of fact – in particular, that the written witness evidence submitted by the applicant did not accurately reflect what had occurred and that the actions of our terrific door supervisors did sufficiently promote the licensing objectives.”

He added that David initiated the review without informing the venue first, and it had, at times, felt like a personal attack.

Sam further cited the “challenging time” the review had been for Timepiece, with the student in question continuing to visit the venue regularly. The director said the welfare of customers was of utmost importance to him.

Whilst the committee’s findings ruled out a licence suspension or revocation, it did come up with a set of licence conditions, though many of these are already implemented at the club.

These include a written drugs and spiking policy, keeping an incident log and improving staff training. There also needs to be an appointment of a “welfare officer” who should be available at all times with a designated “station”.

David told the BBC he is content with the outcome of the investigation, and cited the importance of taking the necessary measures to continue ensuring students’ safety in the future.