Nightclub staff left ‘devastated’ by club closure

By Callum Erskine

Onyx Night club has been the main party destination for the young and old since it opened as La Parisienne in the early 1980’s

The staff of a popular Folkestone nightclub have told of their shock after being left jobless overnight.

Onyx nightclub, on Marine Parade in the seaside town, shocked customers and employees when they closed their doors for the last time this week.

Mathew Morris, 23, a now former employee of the club was left jobless when the club told staff that they had to search for new employment:

“Honestly we are all devastated, as much as we hated the hours and sometimes the people, we absolutely loved being there”.

“We weren’t told that the contract had run out on the club until the evening before our next shift… We were given a consolation drink at Wetherspoons, they put £100 behind the bar”.

“The public weren’t told anything at all. I’ve had loads of people trying to find out what the hell has been going on, but the guys and me don’t even fully know ourselves” 

The management of Onyx had always planned on closing the club due to development plans in the Folkestone harbour area but had proposals of a contract extension until Halloween turned down.

The owners have been approached for a reply to the allegations that their staff were left in the dark over the closure of the nightclub.

These plans show the locations of development areas in the Folkestone seafront, area number 11 shows the plans for the site of Onyx.

Plans to regenerate the harbour have been in action since 2011 with the introduction of changes such as Folkestone’s ‘Creative Quarter’ and the opening of the Harbour Arm.

However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for Folkestone partiers as there are rumours that the club may relocate somewhere else in town.

In reply to questions about these rumours Mathew said: “I cant say if these rumours are true or not, but I hope they are”.