Eight people taken to hospital after “chemical substance” released in Doncaster nightclub
Reports of gas being let off in the club have not yet been verified
Eight people were taken to hospital last week after a "chemical substance" was released into the crowd at a Doncaster nightclub.
As reported by LBC, police were called to the Pop Works venue on Silver Street just before 5AM on Sunday 28th July, following reports of customers becoming unwell, "struggling to breathe", "coughing and vomiting".
The exact nature of the incident has yet to be confirmed, and nobody is believed to have suffered life threatening injuries or lasting effects.
According to The Mirror newspaper, one woman who was present described how "everyone was coughing and sneezing. The security were shouting for everybody to get out." Another told Doncaster Free Press "my sister's friends were in there and said it was like tear gas."
Pop Works has issued the following statement:
"On the early hours off Sunday morning around 04:55am we had to evacuate everyone out of the club, this was a big eye opener for us as a business and it was handled very well, thank you to our door staff and management," a Facebook post read.
"We would like to apologise to everyone who was inside at the time and who was involved in the incident. What a world we live in that people would make businesses harder than it is in this trade after Covid. We are deeply sorry. Our main priority is our customers safety and well-being after making sure that the care needed for those involved was provided. Once again we are truly sorry. Thank you to the fire service and the police that came and helped everyone.”
The club has confirmed it will open as normal this weekend, although with enhanced precautions, following discussions with licensing authorities. Extra measures includes an increased security presence, the use of advanced surveillance systems, strict door and ID checks, 'safety zones' in case of emergency, and more frequent hygiene checks and protocols. You can read the full details here.
After the incident, South Yorkshire Police also published a statement, and asked the public to come forward with any relevant information:
"We were called at 5am to reports a number of people said to be feeling unwell at Pop Works on Silver Street. Eight people at the venue required hospital treatment but nobody is thought to have had any lasting effects. We are now working to determine what substance was let off at the location. We are appealing for anyone with information to come forward."
