A NIGHTCLUB has agreed to have more security staff outside its premises following a review which was sparked by the death of a student. 


The review of Durham city centre club and bar Missoula was carried out at the request of Durham Police following the death of Durham University student Olivia Burt in February. 


The 20-year-old student suffered fatal head injuries when she was queuing outside the venue, in the Walkergate complex, on Wednesday, February 7.


A Durham County Council committee allowed the venue to keep its licence but said it will have to adhere to a new operational plan, which has been negotiated between owners Stonegate and Durham Police. 


They have agreed to have 14 members of security staff on Wednesdays after 10pm, a busy student night when the club often operates at near 100 per cent capacity. 


The queue will also be limited to 96 people outside Missoula, with a holding queue in Millennium Place limited to 200 people. 


The committee heard Missoula management had worked with Durham Police in 2017 because rival venue Loveshack had alleged that staff could not guarantee it was not operating in excess of its capacity. 


As a result, a new queuing system had been introduced and Chris Southey, a solicitor for Durham Police, said there had been no further cause of concern.


He said: “There were 12 months between that meeting in February 2017 and the incident on 7 February, 2018 and there were no warnings whatsoever.”


However, the investigation which followed Miss Burt’s death had identified a number of shortcomings around communication between Missoula management, door staff and the security team at Walkergate, Mr Southey said.


Philip Kolvin, QC, speaking on behalf of Stonegate, said: “Coming up to February 7 there was no reason to regard this system as dangerous. Clearly the tragic events have caused a root and branch review.


“There has been a process with the police as the operational plan has come to fruition.”


The review had been backed by Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, who has voiced concerns about Walkergate for a number of years and has been calling for a wider review into city centre licensing, as well as councillor David Freeman and St Nicholas’s Community Forum.


Speaking at the start of the meeting, committee chairman Colin Carr told those attending that it would not be looking at any wider licensing issues in Durham city or at Walkergate, which is due to be reviewed by the council in 2019. 


Dr Blackman-Woods did not attend the meeting, but a statement read by her aid Nick Rippin said an eyewitness had said the queue on that night had “felt unsafe”.


Mr Rippin said: “It is under truly tragic circumstances this review is taking place and throughout this process we must remember that a young girl lost her life outside this venue.


“Olivia’s death was entirely preventable, but this would have meant someone listening to concerns and acting upon them, but they repeatedly refused to do so.


“I hope that some of you are listening now.”


Cllr David Freeman said: “In view of the tragic death which occurred outside it’s time the council did look at licensing in the whole of the complex.”


Mr Southey said: “The death of any young person can be very shocking and questions are asked about what caused it, with a view, sometimes, to finding a scapegoat or to find a solution in the future.


“There is a danger in such cases that hindsight can be applied sloppily to find an easy solution and that might not be justified.


“There are practices which could be improved but that does not mean if changes the police are seeking now were in place on February 7 all would have been well or that if improvements are agreed it does not guarantee anyone will never suffer death or injury again.”