Warning issued to SWG3 by Glasgow licensing board after deaths of three teens at nightclub

A popular Glasgow venue has been handed a warning from the city’s licensing board following the deaths of three teenagers who died after attending events on the premises.

Representatives from SWG3 attended a Glasgow City Council licensing board committee meeting to discuss the review on Friday.

It came after a complaint was made by Police Scotland.

The nightclub was issued a written warning following the deaths of three people in a matter of a months.

An 18-year-old woman died after she became unwell at a rave held at the popular venue on New Year’s Eve.

She was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by ambulance but later died.

Just four months earlier Scott Allison and Marcus Dick, who were both 18, passed away in separate incidents after DJ Ben Hemsley’s set at SWG3’s Galvanisers Yard in August.

Scott Allison and Marcus Dick died after at DJ event at SWG3 Police Scotland

Bailie Margaret Morgan, chair of Glasgow Licensing Board said that the board had been satisfied that the grounds for review had been established.

She said it was considered “necessary to and appropriate” for the purposes of the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and separately, securing public safety, to issue a written warning to the licence holder.

In making the decision the board said that the licence holder must notify Police Scotland if any individual is taken by ambulance from the premises to hospital.

The venue was told that they should not rely on external emergency organisations to notify Police Scotland of incidents.

It added that all recommendations provided within the independent review and/or the audits found within productions that instructed by the licence holder are implemented and fully executed by the licence holder.

Drugs must continue to be seized, logged and stored when confiscated from individuals to the satisfaction of Police Scotland.

Its zero tolerance to drugs policy should continue to be implemented, hand in hand with its harm reduction approach.

A spokesman for Glasgow Licensing Board said: “In circumstances where three young people tragically lost their lives, there were clear grounds for these premises to be subject to a premises review hearing.

“Following consideration of all the information presented at the hearing, the board considered it appropriate to issue the licence holder with a written warning.

“In line with licensing law, the purpose of a review hearing is to ensure safeguards are in place to prevent future incidents, rather than take punitive action,

“From the submissions made by the licence holder, steps have already been taken to address the issues raised by this review and the licence holder has been warned they must now fulfil these commitments.”

SWG3 has been contacted for comment.