A POPULAR Weymouth nightclub has had its licence revoked by police and Dorset Council amid allegations of criminality.

Actors Bar & Club, on Maiden Street, can no longer operate following yesterday's decision by Dorset Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee following a rare summary review.

The premises licence was temporarily revoked with immediate effect at a licensing hearing on Friday, December 17, 2021. The order stated that the venue must close for 28 days pending a full hearing in January 2022.

Dorset Police launched an investigation into the venue following reports from members of the public.

The force was supported by the specialist Drug and Alcohol Harm Reduction Team, working alongside neighbourhood policing team, response officers and CID, as well as partners from the local authority.

It is alleged that the operators of the venue consistently failed to uphold the licensing objectives and that crime was reported to have taken place at the premises, which risked the safety of members of the public.

Linked to this investigation, officers from the Neighbourhood Exploitation Team and CID executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at a local address on Friday, December 17, 2021.

A 37-year-old man from Weymouth has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs – class A and a quantity of suspected cannabis has been seized.

Mr Parviz Marseh has been the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) at Actors since August 2020 and at a previous hearing promised new managers, a new security company, closer vetting of customers and the possible use of a drug detection device, if he was to be allowed to continue trading.

In yesterday's hearing, Licensing Team Leader, Aileen Powell said: "Summary reviews are reserved for the most serious cases of crime and disorder and they have to be signed off by a police superintendent or somebody of a higher ranking.

"To put this into context Dorset Council has 1,697 alcohol licence premises and in the 16 years of the Licensing Act there have only been two summary reviews.

"The licence holder is the person or company who carries on or proposes to carry on a business which involves the use of the premises for licensable activities.

"It is important in this case because it is the licence holder that owns the licence and against who this application is made.

"It would normally be the licence holder who would be the responding party. The current licence holder is a company called Darya Ltd. This is a private limited company which lists the nature of its business as 'other business support service activities not elsewhere classified'.

"It has no employees and the company was without a director or person with significant control between the 1st of October and 22nd of December.

"There is still no person with significant control listed although there is now a director."

Cllr Les Fry asked: "The fact Darya is a company holding the licence but has no directors, how does that work? To me that's like a driverless car - seems an unusual situation."

Ms Powell replied: "I’m not an expert in company law by any means - but I know it’s not lawful for a company not to have at least one director."

A full decision notice will be published on Dorset Council's website in due course.