Backroom nightclub reopens with 'enhanced safety' for women after licence suspended over rape outside
A nightclub in Leeds city centre has reopened with “enhanced female safety measures” after a teenager was raped outside.
The Backroom nightclub, located on Call Lane, has reopened three months after its licence was suspended, following an attack on a 17-year-old girl.
West Yorkshire Police called for an urgent review of the nightclub's licence after the teenager, who had been on a night out in the area, was reportedly raped nearby shortly after leaving the venue at around 2.15am on November 9 last year.
The venue reopened on Friday (March 20) after meeting all the relevant safety requirements set out by the Leeds City Council Licensing Sub-Committee in December.
“We opened last weekend with a new security company, ID scanners and enhanced female safety measures,” a spokesperson for The Backroom Management Team said.
“Our aim is to ensure the welfare and safety of all our customers whilst still providing an enjoyable experience.”
Advertising its grand reopening on social media, Backroom reminded all partygoers that they must come with valid ID that would be scanned before entry.
Umar Asghar, 34, of Retford Place, Bradford, made his first appearance before Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 17, charged in relation to the incident.
He was later found guilty on one count rape of a woman 16 years or over following a trial at Bradford Crown Court. He was remanded into custody pending sentencing.