A ONCE-popular venue has suddenly closed after more than a decade serving Darlington leaving its entire team of staff redundant.

The InsideOut nightclub on Beaumont Street near the town centre confirmed its closure after operating for more than twelve years.

The club said it it had taken the decision to terminate its staff's employment and shut the venue after 'careful review.'

Last night, a DJ who worked at the nightclub on a freelance basis, said staff had been feeling 'unsure' the venue would reopen in the days leading up to its closure.

The Northern Echo:

David Wriglesworth, also known as DJ Wriggy, told The Northern Echo: "I'd been a customer for about ten years and they asked me to be the resident DJ on a Friday night in October.

"I made loads of great friends and memories in the nightclub and it put Darlington on the map in terms of attracting big name acts and DJs to the town.

"I was told by a member of staff at the club on Friday that InsideOut would be closed this weekend, and they said they were unsure if it would reopen."

During the nightclub's twelve years of operation, the club was threatened with the suspension of its licence to sell alcohol over concerns about crime and disorder, while a number of assaults have been reported to police.

The Northern Echo:

Most recently, a teenager was left with "life-changing" injuries after he was allegedly assaulted near to the club in October.

In November 2018, two men were left with seriously injuries and a man was arrested after a fight broke out inside the club.

However, an InsideOut club-goer said she believed the venue's closure was due to a change in the 'clubbing and drinking scene' over the past few years.

She said: "The club scene and drinking scene is changing it’s sad to see – times are changing."

A DJ known as Denney, who played at InsideOut on a number of occasions, said the closure was a "real blow" to the town.

He said: "Incredibly sad news to hear the UK has lost another great club with Inside Out is closing its doors.

"This is a real blow to the area, they brought some amazing talent over the years."

"It seems we keep losing clubs to larger scale events in the UK - we need to maintain a healthy scene with proper nightclubs."

Confirming the closure on Friday, a statement from the club said: "Unfortunately it has been decided to close Inside Out after 12 years.

The Northern Echo:

"We are immensely proud of the long list of impressive and widely acclaimed Acts, Bands & DJ’s we have brought to Darlington.

"After careful review, management have decided that an overhaul of the operation is necessary to ensure its long term viability.

"This has resulted in the short term closure of the unit and the unfortunate termination of the venue staff’s employment by way of redundancy.

"We shall of course be in touch with further updates when we are in a position to do so."

A spokesperson for Darlington Borough Council confirmed the venue had a valid licence to sell alcohol in place at the time of its closure, and confirmed it had not been stripped of its licence.