A statement released by the Manchester Pub and Club network regarding the turbulent launch weekend of the Warehouse Project (28-29 September):
It has been well publicised about the recent very unfortunate drug related incident at The Warehouse Project in Trafford, and our immediate thoughts of course are with Nick Bonnie family and friends.
As a Network we absolutely condemn the use of all illegal substances in our member’s venues, and only recently launched a city wide campaign to try and address and educate this problem with the visitors to the city and the regulars of all venues within our Network. Drugs are for mugs and the sooner we can finally eradicate this blight on our society the better.
The venue in question is actually outside of The Manchester Pub & Club Network's area, but we know the operator well. From what we know of this company, their history, and even from the original press coverage, it is plain to see that this hugely popular and well established venue is run professionally and efficiently by the operator and the security firm involved. In fact they are one of only a very few who are not only ACS accredited, but also pay for venue policing from the local police force themselves.
Drugs are a potential issue for all venues, and we therefore re-emphasise for every venue to keep up their vigilance, entry searches and CCTV systems to try and reduce this provenly damaging problem for the idiots who choose to indulge. Whilst in no way trying to reduce or trivialise all venues responsibilities in running good premises, there is only so much that they can do.
EcstasySo we would very strongly urge and emphasise the risks that each and every individual who chooses to partake in this frankly reckless and stupid activity is taking, and would advise that they simply just don’t do it. When will people learn that this is such a needless risk to take, which this time has resulted in a very tragic ending. Personal responsibility is a duty that every single person on a night out must consider and plan for.
The Network has a very close working relationship with the police and local authorities, as does the venue involved here, and we will all continue to work together to address any issues, and we will all absolutely assist the police in any way possible to catch the guilty and irresponsible dealers and distributors of these dreadful substances.
Phil Burke
Spokesperson
Manchester Pub & Club Network
David Blake's Opinion:
You may think that following the tragedy of the night of Friday 27 September, both policing and security at Saturday night’s Warehouse Project would have been painfully stringent. The 45 minute queue to get in certainly suggested everyone was receiving a thorough going over.
Well, no not really.
Apart from a leaflet handed out to all attendees emphasising the venue’s zero tolerance policy towards drugs (which goes without saying) my experience was one of a surprisingly lax system.
My friends and I, five young men aged between 24-27, the demographic you’d expect to be scrupulously searched upon entering the venue, were actually waved straight through by security.
Not one of us was searched. Not even stopped. I was amazed.
Of course the ultimate responsibility should not be placed at the feet of the venue. Yes they do hold a certain responsibility to quell the dealing and consumption of drugs on their premises, and from my experience on Saturday night, the Warehouse Project certainly need to run a tighter ship. You can employ a mass of security, install CCTV, and pay for venue policing, but if security are waving through five young men on entry, then really what is the point?
No, the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual. It is their decision whether or not to take drugs and thus, it is their decision whether or not to run the risks of the dangers innately involved in consuming an unknown substance.
It’s naïve to think any venue can completely eradicate drugs on site. It’s nigh on impossible. Especially one that welcomes 10,000 people over the course of the weekend.
The death of Nick Bonnie on Friday night is tragic and the Warehouse Project attendees who are currently laying ill from a ‘bad batch’ of drugs is troubling, including the moronic drug dealer who swallowed a large quantity of his own stash to avoid detection. But what many people seem to be ignoring is that this was a personal choice, not the fault of the venue.
What is probably most troubling however, and an issue that a lot of commentators seem to skirt around is this: Would the Warehouse Project even exist without illegal substances? From what I witnessed Saturday night, the answer seems fairly obvious.
