Llandudno’s Broadway Boulevard pulls cheap booze promotion

Jun 18 2009 North Wales Weekly News

Broadway Boulevard

A NIGHTCLUB has dropped a controversial drinks promotion after police complained it was fuelling anti-social behaviour.

Last month Llandudno’s Broadway Boulevard was criticised by a judge after a court heard how two drunken students caused £2,800 damage following a Wednesday night £10 all-inclusive drinks deal.

District judge Andrew Shaw said: “It seems incredibly irresponsible to give anyone carte blanche to drink anything they want for £10.”

Christopher Hughes, 21, of St Mary’s Road, Llandudno, and Robert Thomas, 20, a part-time barman of Llandyrnog, Denbigh, pleaded guilty to damaging lighting, door sensors, a window and CCTV camera at Parc Llandudno shopping centre.

Sentencing was adjourned for detailed compensation claims to be submitted and the two were bailed.

“Here you are being encouraged to drink as much as you can and this is what’s happened. It’s an area Llandudno is rightly proud of and you damaged it,” Judge Shaw told the pair.

Defence solicitor Gwyndaf Pari said the damage was caused when the students were on their way home from the club after the £10 promotional night.

They were both only limited to a drink every 15 minutes.

“As a result they drank a lot more than they usually did. It had perhaps predictable consequences on their behaviour,” he said.

“ Their behaviour started as a drunken prank but got out of hand. It was supposed to be a cheap night. It’s ended up costing them a lot more.”

After the incident the Boulevard’s owners raised the price of the promotion to £12, but police were concerned that more trouble could follow.

“We’d been working behind the scenes before the court case as we’d already highlighted a rise in crime and disorder, not huge in any way but enough to warrant our intervention,” said Insp Andy Broadhead.

“We had a meeting with management and they pulled the promotion. We have a good relationship with the premises and they were keen to reduce any problems. They were aware of community sensitivity over it.”

3-D Entertainment who own the Boulevard confirmed they had pulled the promotion but declined to comment further.