Ma Kelly’s thanks door staff for 'heroic bravery' in detaining machete-wielding thugs outside club

In the early hours of S unday morning (September 25), a red car pulled up outside a club in Queen Street – across the road from Ma Kelly’s - and two men climbed out.

The pair approached the venue in Queen Street where a quarrel broke out and a doorman was threatened with a machete.

Door staff used their radios to alert security at nearby venues, including Ma Kelly’s, whose door team raced over the road to help.

The men with the machete then fled the scene and drove round the corner, only to find themselves stopped at the traffic lights outside Ma Kelly’s.

It was here where two of the quick-thinking door men stopped the car from getting away, pulled the pair out of the vehicle and detained them until police arrived.

Police arrived shortly afterwards and the two suspects were placed in the back of a police van and taken into custody.

Two men from West Yorkshire - a 28-year-old from Bradford and a 29-year-old from Keighley – were arrested on suspicion of affray. Both were later released under investigation.

Speaking to the Gazette, Ma Kelly’s management spoke proudly of their ‘heroic’ door staff, whose brave response ensured the safety of customers and the wider public.

Sean Bradley, manager at Ma Kelly’s, said he also wants to reassure customers and ‘set the record straight’ that it was not Ma Kelly’s in which this incident took place.

Statement from Ma Kelly’s

Sean Bradley, manager at Ma Kelly’s, said: “We are aware of an incident that took place at a venue nearby Ma Kelly’s on early Sunday morning (September 25).

"We would like to clarify that Ma Kelly’s was not the venue in which the doormen were threatened with a machete, this was at a venue across the road.

"The doormen at Ma Kelly’s were called, via a radio link security system, to assist at another venue.

"Our doormen are linked to security radios with all late night venues in town and they were alerted to the threat made to doormen working at another venue across the road on Queen Street.

"The assailants were at the other venue and following the threat to their doormen, the Ma Kelly’s door team were asked for back up and help by the other door team.

"The Ma Kelly’s security team radioed that they would help and went over to assist.

"Upon arriving at the venue, the assailants had already left in a car and were driving off. The assailants drove the car round the corner and pulled up at the traffic lights adjacent to Ma Kelly’s.

"At this point, two of the Ma Kelly’s doormen intervened and the assailants were detained until the police arrived.

"We would like to thank our vigilant and quick thinking Ma Kelly’s door team who prevented a serious incident and salute their bravery and courage.

"Here at Ma Kelly’s we take the safeguarding and security of our customers very seriously and have invested in multi-angle security cameras which record footage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"Our security team are professionally trained and dedicated to ensuring our customers are safe and secure in all of our venues.

"On this occasion we felt we had to reassure our customers and set the record straight that it was not Ma Kelly’s in which this incident took place.

"It was our diligent doormen who detained the assailants who were fleeing from another venue.

"We look forward in continuing to welcome our loyal customers and re assuring members of the public, that we always put safety first and will continue to do so, as one of the resorts most popular live entertainment venues.”