Essex club slammed for 20 drinks for £10 deal
An Essex nightclub has ignored police and council requests to drop a £10 for 20 drinks promotion on Friday and Saturday nights.
Customers at Dukes Genesis, in Chelmsford, can pay £10 to receive 20 fake bank notes, which can each be swapped for a drink if they enter before 11pm. After 11pm the deal is £15 for 15 drinks.
Police and Chelmsford Borough Council have already warned the club, they feel the offer breaches the mandatory code on alcohol retailing, which came into force in April.
The code banned all inclusive deals, such as all you can drink for £10, and irresponsible promotions. It said an irresponsible promotion was one where "the purpose of the promotion encourages the sale or supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises in a manner which carries a significant risk of leading or contributing to crime and disorder, prejudice to public safety, public nuisance or harm to children".
A spokesman for the police said: "We expressed concerns that a promotion of this type came with the terms of the mandatory conditions order and that by offering twenty drinks for £10 was an offer that encouraged customers to drink in a way that could cause a significant risk of breaching one or more of the four licensing objectives.
"They were asked to reconsider the promotion and were warned of the consequences should problems arise. They chose to continue with the promotion. "Essex Police is currently monitoring the events and will be considering further action."
Carefully managed
But club manager Martyn Stokes told The Sun he did not believe the deal breached the mandatory code. "Many of our customers are feeling the pinch and finding it hard to make ends meet," he said.
"Therefore, in line with the mainstream of retail outlets nationwide, we make the same concerted effort to give our customers value for money.
"We believe we have managed this to the satisfaction of our customers' needs, together with licensing requirements.
"It is also our understanding that it has not resulted in additional violence and disorder in the town centre.
"This promotion will be carefully managed and does, in our opinion, comply with current legislation."
