THE owner of The Elk venue in Toomebridge has been fined £25,000 for overcrowding at a teenage disco event that led to fears of "crushing".
Creagh Concrete Products Ltd, which owns The Elk Bar and Bistro, and its general manager Aaron McHenry, pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation relating to the sold-out teen event on November 5, 2021.
Police received several complaints from parents about overcrowding following the disco, and the Irish News revealed how a parent said her daughter feared she would be crushed along with her two friends before being pulled to safety by a security guard.
An investigation was launched by Mid-Ulster District Council, while the venue's entertainment licence was suspended as it emerged the Public Health Agency had identified 800 people advised to self-isolate after being close contacts of 170 positive and suspected Covid-19 cases linked to the event.
Underage events at the venue were also banned by the council.
The investigation found that prior to the event the organisers had knowingly sold tickets in excess of the maximum number permitted by the entertainment licence.
Over 1,800 children were admitted despite the permitted number being 1,041, while although a minimum of 51 security staff were required for the event, only 14 staff and six 'floating stewards' were on duty.
A district judge described the event as "atrociously managed", and fined the owner £20,000 and £5,000 respectively, for breaches of health and safety and entertainment licensing legislation for overcrowding and a crushing incident.
A spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council said: "Where there is the potential for the public's safety to be at risk and where there have been alleged breaches of any licence or health and safety, or existing conditions, the Council will take robust action.
"The suspension of the entertainment licence, the prohibition of underage events at the premises and today's ruling confirms that overcrowding, or any other breach of duties under health and safety or entertainments licence will be acted upon, as public safety is paramount."
