A WEST Cornwall nightclub has been named as one of the top venues in the country.
Sound nightclub narrowly missed out on the top spot in the Best Bar None national awards.
After winning the Cornish heat Sound staff headed to the House of Lords for the finals, where they came a close second to a Welsh nightclub.
"We're immensely proud to fly the flag for Penzance, and of our staff for the job they do," said Rob Matthews, the owner of Sound, at Bramwell's Mill. "We were devastated not to win but were told it was very close and that our standards were amazing."
More than 160 people attended a parliamentary reception to celebrate nationwide efforts being made to reduce alcohol-related crime.
"This award is about making sure you deal with under-age drinking, you have policies that tackle drugs and that you are operating in the best possible way," said Mr Matthews.
"We hope our achievements will encourage more venues to enter Best Bar None voluntarily and have the desired knock-on effect on the late-night economy locally."
The overall winner was The Royal Pier in Aberystwyth.
In the Cornish heats Sound was not only overall winner but also named best nightclub and best accredited venue, and also honoured for its commitment to staff training.
"We now have the licensed trade, Pubwatch, the police and local authority all aiming for the same goal," said a club spokeswoman. "It's helped us to develop a night-time economy that's become a major attraction for both locals and visitors."
Inspector Jean Phillips from Penzance said: "Sound has been really supportive of all the local crime prevention initiatives around the night- time economy and so this is well deserved."
For more information about the scheme visit www.cornwallbestbarnone.co.uk
