Man stabbed outside Den nightclub in Holborn - 23 year old flighting for life

Published: 29 October 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

A MAN is fighting for his life after he was stabbed in the back outside a Holborn nightclub.

The 23-year-old victim remains in a “critical condition” in hospital after suffering a single stab wound to the back outside the Den in West Central Street at around 6am on Sunday.

It is understood the man was stabbed outside the club, which was packed with revellers for the popular dance night, Rhythums Present.

A 23-year-old man has was arrested for affray and a 29-year-old man was arrested for assisting an offender to leave the scene when police arrived. They have been released on police bail until December.

Officers from Camden’s Violence Crime Unit would not say whether they recovered a weapon and are not appealing for witnesses.

The incident has alarmed people living in the area, who said the club been a magnet for trouble since it relaunched on the site of the former West End nightclub last year.

Awale Olad, Labour councillor for Holborn, has organised a number of meetings between licensing officers at Camden Council and the club’s management to try get a grip on the problem.

Cllr Olad said: “I appreciate that this club is very popular for West End revellers but the ­level of anti-social behaviour, public and noise nuisance, and violence spilling out from the venue is unacceptable. We’ve had meetings to discuss the issues but we are not reassured things have improved. It’s almost a disease in the local community and now is the right time for licensing to take action.”

A spokewoman for Camden Police said: “Police were called to West Central Street, WC1, on Sunday October 24, following reports of an injured man. At approximately 05:50 hours, officers found a man, aged 23, suffering from a single stab wound to his back. London Ambulance Service also attended and the victim was taken to an East London hospital for treatment.”