Extra hours have been granted for the Chic club in Weymouth – although a request to reduce the number of searches and ID checks for patrons was refused.

The premises had been temporarily closed in December 2021 after police concerns about drug dealing while the owner was away.

It was allowed to reopen in July last year, re-named as Chic Bar and Club, but with reduced hours and increased security.

Owner Parviz Panjalizadeh-Marseh has now persuaded a Dorset Council licensing panel to extend the hours from 2.30am until 3.30am, claiming his premises is the safest in town.

The panel of councillors also agreed a relaxation in rules over door staff which will mean that when registered female door staff are not available searches can be carried out by a female member of the club staff.

The club owner told the hearing that there had an occasion when female Security Industry Authority-registered staff were not available to search women, forcing it to close. On another evening the shortage of female staff locally meant a registered woman security officer had to drive from Southampton to allow Chic to open its doors.

Dorset Police had objected to a request to cut reduce checks from 100% of patrons to 80%, saying the body searches and ID checks had led to a decrease in crime.

The meeting heard that the ID rules had been strictly enforced, including door staff refusing entry to the drummer in a band who had forgotten to bring his ID.

Mr Panjalizadeh-Marseh said his staff had stopped a man carrying a knuckle duster and confiscated the weapon while other clubs had let him in that evening because they were not searching everyone. The man had run off with efforts continuing to identify him using CCTV at Chic and other premises so that he could be banned from all town centre premises.

Neighbour John Rosewell appeared at the hearing via video link to object to the extra hour. He said there remains problems with street noise and litter, although the hearing was told there was no evidence to link these to patrons at Chic.

He also said that signs asking those leaving the club to be quiet were inadequate although the hearing was told they did comply with the conditions of the licence. He said when the club, at the time called Actors, had been forced to close, there had been a marked difference in the level of disturbance in Maiden Street.

Weymouth Town Council had also written to object to the longer hours and requested reduction in the level of searches to 80 per cent.

Mr Panjalizadeh-Marseh said despite Mr Rosewell’s concerns the club had neighbours opposite who had never complained.

Chair of the licensing sub committee Cllr Emma Parker said the panel recognised Mr Panjalizadeh-Marseh had worked with Dorset Police and licensing staff to address previous problems at the venue.