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No more 24-hour party people

1:45pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A BAR on the outskirts of St Albans has had its licence revoked over allegations of violence and under-age drinking.

The district council, under police advice, has withdrawn the alcohol licence of 24/7 in Redbourn Road, formerly known as the Metro Bar and Fudge.

The bar's management, who boast of having the only 24-hour licence in Hertfordshire, have 21 days to appeal, and will not have to stop serving drink while any appeal is under consideration.

Police spokesman Simon Feldman said: "We have tried to work with the management, but they have not wanted to work with us."

The Review has been unable to contact the bar for comment.

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Your Say YourTimes Series

henry, Harpenden says...
6:36pm Wed 14 May 08

I never went to fudge, but I did start to go to this place when it became metro bar. I'm currently a regular to the 24/7. This place is a honestly run business. Being a regular attendant to 24/7, especially on a friday (peak time), I've never ecountered any violence or seen any underage drinking. Infact, underage drinking annoys me, and at my age I certainly wouldn't go there if that allegation were true. 24/7 is a secluded place for adults to enjoy. It's too "out of the way" for youngsters to even bother to get to, which is why I enjoy it there. The music is great and the outside patio's are really exotic. It would be a shame to have this place lose it's 24 hour license for good. I'm very upset.

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Charli, Enfield says...
8:50pm Wed 14 May 08

as a regular of metro (24/7) i can honestly say there has been no violence and no underage drinking.
i go there every weekend at some stage and i have never experienced these acusations.
i have never in my whole time at metro witnessed any violence but i know for a fact the staff would deal with it immediatly!
as for the "underage drinking" i havnt encounterd any at all the staff there are very responsible hense the use of Doormen .. they are there for a reason not just decoration!
It would be a right shame if this place closed down but fingers crossed that wont happen and im **** sure im not the only person that knows that !

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Gareth Hill AKA DJ Hillzy, says...
9:30pm Wed 14 May 08

I run a night called Liquid Soul at 24-7 Club and may I just say I have always found all the staff understanding helpfull but most of all proffessional.
Every single night I've done there has been a great success with hardly any trouble of any kind.
Also the door staff ID and search everybody who comes into the place with no ecception.
I find the allegations made about this brilliant club harsh and typical. Their is not one place locally that throws nights of this calibre and that stay open till a decent time of night. I've seen trouble kick off inside and outside of every single pub and club in Harpenden and St Albans and it's got ugly but never once have I seen something kick that was not delt with immediatly by the doormen.

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Lily, says...
10:44pm Wed 14 May 08

I used to be a regular when 24/7 was called metro and it was full of underage people, i personally know of lots of people who were let in when they were as young as 15! The place is always full of violence with someone even getting there finger bitten off only a couple of months ago! I have also witnessed drugs being done on several occasions. The bar staff are less than helpful and i am not surprised there lisence has been revoked!!

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John (aka Jonny Breakz), Harpenden says...
10:53pm Wed 14 May 08

Exactly. When you have pubs and clubs chucking people out at roughly the same time you get violence in the town & city centres. The evident fact being that numerous drunken people suddenly find themselves with nothing to do. With a late licence people are able to pace themselves with the alcohol as they aren't being asked to "drink up or get out"! As for underage drinking, well that just sounds like an extra (maybe fashioned) excuse to try & shut the place down. I also DJ there regularly & haven't seen any trouble, nor any 'kids'. If the police think this is going to reduce violence and under age drinking in my opinion they've got it wrong. It'll be a real shame if this place gets shut down.

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John, Harpenden says...
10:55pm Wed 14 May 08

p.s. to clarify I wasn't refering to Lily's comments when I said 'exactly'

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Emma Ross, Surrey says...
9:10am Thu 15 May 08

I do not live locally, I am from Surrey but I come up to visit my cousins who live in Harpenden and have been to the 24/7 club several times. I have always found the staff very friendly and the doormen are vigilent in checking IDs and dealing with occasional disputes, as you would find in any pub or club. I can't understand why the licence is being revoked as it seems like a fairly respectable, well-run place and I have had some good nights there. A lot of places near me have far more trouble and I think the location of 24/7 keeps these sorts of people out. I've honestly never witnessed any violence there and am certain that were there to be any the doormen would deal with it immediately. I feel safe going there

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Alex Hill, Harpenden says...
9:53am Thu 15 May 08

These are ridiculous allegations considering that half the pubs and clubs in the local area are full of underage drinkers and I don't see them being closed down or having licenses revoked. At least the 24-7 employ door staff to make sure that I.D's are checked before entry - couldnt say that about anywhere in Harpenden where every friday night seems that half the schools pupils in the area are out drinking illegally without any sort of enforcement whatsoever, just because its got a 24 hour license they dont want it there..What are young people meant to do in this area at night! I ask you....

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matthew peck, harpenden says...
12:02pm Thu 15 May 08

I think that the allegations of underage drinking and violence aboutthe 24/7 bar are absolute nonsense i am a regular going there almost every friday and saturday night and have not once seen a fight or any underage people in the bar. i am 21 years old and look a lot older than that but once when arriving at the metro without my I.D. i got told i wouldn't be allowed in without it and so i had to get a £30 pound taxi there and back to get my passport (underage drinking i think not). personally i think that people have made up these allegations because i can't see where the complaints have come from there is no pubs clubs houses anywhere near to it so it can't cause a disturbance to anyone which is why i think it is a good thing because you rarely see underages there cause they can't be bothered to risk going all that way to get turned away according to my 17 year old brother who said "much ratheer stay in town so much easier to get served." so maybe these annoying people that are trying to shut down the 24/7 bar should maybe look a little closer to home rather then making up stories about a lovely child free enviroment

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craig, harpenden says...
10:33pm Thu 15 May 08

Utter rubish,poor conduct,bad ball; its not fair on local residence this place is a place to treat others like well beings and respect our lives with the hours we have. God bless all the poor soles that have to weep in the bare night untill 6 am in the morning we need a roof to party and have a jollie under at thease sill hours . all the best mr Craigy

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Dave Holt, Harpenden / Leeds says...
12:28am Fri 16 May 08

This is a total Southernism. The venue is so remote and the government were the ones who allowed 24 hour drinking, so why should this orderly run establishment suffer for nothing? I've been a couple times when back in my native South and have never seen trouble, especially compared to the North, and have had great nights, despite the fact i don't drink. I've gone here to get away from the under-agers and louts in Harpenden and St Albans on my nights out and to hear about this talk of taking the license away angers me immensely. I've seen young, talented people getting a chance to have their own sets, which they wouldn't have been able to get elsewhere without a previous reputation. As a fellow musician, i understand how hard it is to get exposer and this venue was doing a great service. It intrigues me how the whole world loves music, every single person on the planet, yet this nation is hell bent on stopping people from doing just that.

This neither surprises me, nor impresses me, being that it's one of the main reasons i've stayed up here. Sounds yet again like the real issues are being avoided for an easy scape goat. I can't believe this is actually happening.

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Lily, says...
4:35pm Sat 17 May 08

I would like to say everyone that has said 247 is such a brilliant place with no underage drinking is a complete liar! Because last year when i was 17 i used to go evrey week and was never refused entry or even id'd!And i know the only reason lots of people go is because it's the only place they can get in underage without fake id in st albans!

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JO Lanta, watford says...
7:30pm Sat 17 May 08

We are 4 17 year old girls - this is our number one club cause we always get in without ID - everywhere else they ask for id or worse scan it so there is no chance to get in! We are gonna really miss it and ave to wait until we are 18 now - still there are plenty of little oubs we can go to just not the same

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Robin Friday, St Albans says...
8:47am Tue 20 May 08

"What are young people meant to do in this area at night!"

Errr...go home and go to bed?

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MATT, ST ALBANS says...
5:35pm Sat 31 May 08

ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.


METRO/247 IS A TIDY LITTLE VENUE WITH GOOD HONEST STAFF AND ENFORCED RULES.

DOWN WITH THE PEOPLE FIGHTING LATE NIGHT DRINKS IN ST ALBANS.

STOP MOANING AND GIVE SOME SPACE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.

AND IVE NEVER SEEN AN UNDER AGER INT HERE ONCE.

FIND SOME REAL CRIME FOR GOD SAKE

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Allan Harris, ST ALBANS city district/ Hertforshire says...
10:17pm Sun 29 Jun 08

Bar 24/7 has met the council reqiurements and is still
OPEN to trade. The venue is not shut after meeting our requirements due to its late licence. Many thank's.

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