A month after an increasingly notorious nightspot in Sittingbourne was slapped with extra licensing conditions, reporter Megan Carr went to see if the new rules were being followed...

It was a bustling Friday night in Sittingbourne, but you wouldn’t know that from the scene inside Life at 11pm.

I arrived at the nightclub, tucked away above a former Burton’s store in the High Street, an hour after opening to find I was the first one there.

I had never visited before but what I did know I’d learned from interviewing young people in the town – many of whom said they steered clear – and sitting in the venue’s licensing review meeting.

That was called after police raised concerns about underage drinking, allegations of door staff assaulting clubbers and violence, including a mass brawl of around 40 people outside on New Year’s Day.

Instead of being closed down, the club was ordered to make sure it scanned everyone’s IDs, installed more CCTV cameras and ensured doormen wore bodycams and helped disperse crowds at the end of the night.

A month on and I was glad to report both my partner and I were asked for our IDs – he was also thoroughly searched and patted down before we were invited inside. It was comforting to see the doormen wearing bodycams too.

And I couldn’t fault the friendliness of the staff, or the entry fee of £5 per person. The only downside as we entered was learning that the venue was cash only – incredible in a world with contactless cards and Apple Pay.

As the county’s clubs go, Life is on the smaller side, all in one room. It compared more to a dance floor at a British Legion club than the likes of Club Chemistry in Canterbury or Casinos in Rochester.

There were plenty of bar staff and bouncers dotted around and drinks weren’t too expensive – we were given change from a £5 note for a Corona and a lime soda.

Listening to Kelly Rowland at the empty bar, I noticed some of the staff having a smoke outside as they waited for more customers.

They cheerfully explained it wasn’t strange for the place to be so empty and that people start to turn up nearer the 1am mark, just two hours before closing.

When talking about nightlife in Swale we agreed there aren’t many places for young people to go for a night out.

Life is the only nightclub around but many people tended to spend their nights out at the Vineyard and Red Lion.

It very much seemed to be the place people venture to when the pubs shut. The few girls on the dancefloor were swaying around with their drinks sloshing out their glasses, and it was impossible to get a coherent sentence out of any of the revellers in the smoking area. The stench of sick was strong in the toilets.

It did mean, however, that the dispersal policy seemed a bit pointless.

The end of the night saw just a few groups of giggling women and a couple of men walk off, not really mass groups of hooligans who needed to be told to keep the noise down.

Despite this the staff, both at the bar and on the door, were very pleasant and I felt safe at all times. It was a different experience than the one I was expecting, having read the reports of violent behaviour.

While Life managed to stick to the council’s guidelines it was the least lively nightclub I’ve ever been to.

Perhaps I would go back, but I like the rest of the clubbers there, would probably need a stiff drink beforehand.