14-year-old boy accused of rape in Manchester City Centre

A teenage boy who was arrested after a woman was raped in the toilets of a city centre nightclub has been released on bail.

The 14-year-old was held after the incident at the Bloom club in Manchester's gay village in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 29 June.

A female customer and her friends reported being approached by a teenager offering to sell them drugs at around 4.15 am, he entered the male toilets with the woman, according to police.

It is then alleged the woman was raped inside one of the toilet cubicles.

The woman is said to have texted her friends asking for help around twenty minutes later, who then alerted club staff.

A teenager was located and detained outside the club but was allowed to leave when they were told the victim didn't want the police called, but a police report to the city council said at around 5am one of the victim's friends contacted Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to report the incident and officers attended the premises.

A 14-year-old boy was later arrested on suspicion of rape and taken into custody for questioning. He's now been bailed as investigations continue.

A Manchester City Council licencing hearing heard allegations a member of security staff went into the toilets, knocked on the cubicle and realised there were two people inside and allowed them to remain in there together and left.

PC Stuart Hammersley from GMP said he was "shocked" the nightclub did not contact the police after the incident was reported to them and that "any forensic opportunities were lost" as a result.

The club's licence was suspended with immediate effect at the committee hearing, pending a full review which will be heard at the end of this month. The panel said they were 'gravely concerned' at what had happened.

Speaking on behalf of the premises licence holder at the hearing, solicitor Stephanie Williams said the club 'understands the seriousness of what happened' and is conducting a 'full investigation' so could not comment further.

The club said in a statement issued before the hearing they would be closed whilst the investigation took place and that that they were "working with the police and giving every assistance possible."