A critical hearing to determine whether Oxygene nightclub in Wolverhampton city centre can retain its operating licence is scheduled to reconvene next week.
The City of Wolverhampton Council is reviewing the licence following calls from West Midlands Police, who accused the club’s management of neglecting essential safety measures. These concerns arose after a stabbing incident in March and a subsequent under-18 event in April, which attracted around 400 youths outside the venue and culminated in a fight.
West Midlands Police expressed a lack of confidence in club owner Alex Osiagor’s ability to adequately manage the venue and assess event risks. Authorities are seeking to reduce the club’s operating hours and suspend its licence until all identified breaches are fully addressed.
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The council’s licensing committee initially met on June 11, but the hearing was abruptly adjourned after just one hour due to unforeseen circumstances. The next session has been scheduled for July 17.
Details revealed in the hearing agenda show that police received a 999 call reporting a stabbing around 4am on March 8. CCTV footage later reviewed — which was initially unavailable and mistakenly timestamped when obtained weeks after the incident — depicted an altercation outside the club’s entrance. Notably, neither security staff intervened nor contacted police during the event; instead, members of the public dispersed the conflict.
West Midlands Police highlighted multiple licence violations by Oxygene, such as the failure to conduct searches, carry out ID checks, or use handheld metal detectors. Additionally, the club reportedly allowed entry after the 3am cut-off and did not enforce the requirement for under-18s to leave by 9pm.
On the evening of April 4, officers patrolling the city found over 400 young males in Queen Street, where a fight had broken out. Body cam footage from that night showed that both the club owner and security personnel could not verify the number of attendees.
Owner Alex Osiagor informed police that the under-18s event was an invite-only party organized by local students but acknowledged that it had been widely promoted on social media, drawing large crowds. When the club reached full capacity, many were turned away and gathered outside, escalating tensions.
Following these incidents, the council expressed “deep concerns” to Osiagor about the sizeable youth gatherings and the risk of future disorder. The owner subsequently pledged not to host any further under-18s events citing the problems experienced.
West Midlands Police categorize under-18s events as inherently high risk, requiring complex security protocols due to the safety of minors involved.
Further scrutiny came after an eighteenth birthday party a week later exceeded the venue’s maximum capacity by 40 guests, according to West Midlands Fire Service. The fire authority, supporting the licence review, noted that Osiagor had previously agreed to limit capacity and implement attendance tracking as part of an application to extend opening hours in 2023.
Currently, Oxygene is licensed to operate from noon until 6am daily, with permission to sell alcohol until 6am.