Stourbridge police chief: Our town is safe despite stabbing
The police chief for Stourbridge has insisted the town does offer a safe night out for revellers despite a stabbing at the weekend.
Three people were taken to hospital following disorder outside The Arena nightclub, formerly The Picture House, on Hagley Road on Sunday morning.
Five people aged from 21 to 31 were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They have been released on police bail until the end of August.
Today, Dudley South Inspector Dez Lambert said: "It's the unfortunate fact that you can have things like this happening anywhere. If someone wants to pick a fight and has a weapon, it can be very difficult to prevent.
"What I can say is that the vast majority of evenings in Stourbridge go incident-free – it is generally a safe night for people to enjoy."
Insp Lambert said the stabbing would result in no change in the night-time policing of the town.
Currently, the police have a designated team of between four and eight officers who work in the town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Working with licence holders, street pastors and supporting police officers, they patrol the town centre, reacting to any reports of disorder.
Among the powers available to them is ejecting a troublemaker from the town for a weekend. Insp Lambert said: "As far as I can see it, this was an isolated incident."
