Former Southampton nightclub Rhino torn down as work starts at site

Rhino, on Waterloo Terrace near Bedford Place, closed in 2014 after police launched an investigation into alleged blackmail and false imprisonment centred on the venue.

Rhino

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• Rhino club in Southampton closed down amid allegations of false imprisonment and blackmail
• Former Rhino nightclub is now back on the market in Southampton

But now the building has been demolished as work starts on turning the site into a new restaurant.

As well as this, the new part two-, part three-storey building will provide 10 one-bed flats above the eatery.

As reported, these plans were approved in June last year, after the building was put on the market several times.

Artistic impression of how the new building will look

However, it is not yet known what restaurant will take over the new site.

Speaking when the plans were approved, Marian Hubble of City of Southampton Society, said the plans were a “great improvement on what is there at the moment”.

She added: “It would be nice if Waterloo Place could become a sort of attractive precinct in the conservation area, rather than a rather unattractive “cut through.”

The club has now been demolished

As reported, Rhino was closed in May 2014 after an incident that happened at the Waterloo Terrace club led to the arrests of three people connected with the nightspot.

A police investigation followed and officers applied to the council to revoke the club owner’s licence.

The then-owner was then due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to challenge Southampton City Council’s decision but the case was scrapped when he withdrew the appeal.