A town centre nightclub is fighting to remain in business after its latest bid to change management was rejected by the council.

Club 66 on Silver Street in Bury has been the subject of a number of council hearings after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) raised concerns about safety, crime, and disorder at the bar over the last year.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the council’s licensing hearing sub-committee voted unanimously to reject the club’s bid to install a new designated license supervisor (DPS), Alikhalil Abady.

The DPS is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, and a premises must have DPS in place to legally sell alcohol.

The committee heard that Club 66, which had its licence to trade revoked by the council in June, plans to appeal the removal of its licence through the magistrates court system. While the appeal is pending, the nightclub can remain in business.

PC Peter Ecclestone, Bury district's licensing officer, lodged a formal objection to Mr Abady’s application on behalf of GMP alleging "irresponsibility" while acting as the club’s DPS in the past.

He said: “Since June there has been a number of issues whereby the decision of the committee was to revoke the premices licence.

“The incidents relate to three incidents in November 2022 when the operating scedule was blatantly being ignored.

“Of all of these incidents, two occurred when Mr Alikhalil Abady was the DPS.”

PC Ecclestone showed the committee CCTV footage which he says shows patrons being allowed into the nightclub long past its required opening hours- on one occasion as late as 4.20am.

Mr Abady denied the club had allowed breaches of its licence, and blamed personnel from a security company which it no longer employs.

He said: “We’re all very surprised that this objection has been put into the council of me becoming a DPS.

“The evidence submitted by Peter Ecclestone from the police, in regard to people getting into the club later than they’re allowed it, this is highly denied.

“There were issues with the door company, so we’ve had to address that.”

Referring to an incident raised by PC Ecclestone in November 2022, Mr Abady said the club was unable to close its outer doors to customers as it was a shared building, and said he made sure "everybody followed the rules".

Earlier this year, Club 66 had its licence to trade revoke "with immediate effect" after a young woman was raped after leaving its premises.

In March, an application by the club to temporarily extend its opening hours was rejected after GMP alleged the bar operated with "disregard for the licensing objectives" including the prevention of crime and disorder.

Jack Abady, the club’s owner, said the club would have to shut down if the DPS application was rejected, and said everyone who comes into the Club 66 is searched and asked for ID.

He added: “It would be a shame if the DPS gets revoked today (Wednesday). It’s unfair how the police have dealt with us. I don’t think they’ve treated me fairly.

“As the director of the company I have spend a lot of money to create something beautiful to Bury.”

The committee, chaired by Cllr Gavin McGill, voted unanimously to refuse the application to install Alikhalil Abady as the DPS.

He said: “The committee has decided unanimously to refuse the application based on the information provided today (Wednesday).

“(This information is) sufficient to demonstrate that the licensing objectives were not being upheld to prevent crime and disorder.”