MYSTERY surrounds whether around 700 people crowded into a Kidderminster nightclub only licensed to hold 500.

Police watched from a secret location as revellers entered Mirage, which had already been fined £10,000 for overcrowding after twice breaching the rules for the maximum number of clubbers allowed on its premises.

However, joint owners Mohammed Ghoncheh and Mashallah Ghattan told Kidderminster magistrates video evidence filmed by officers was unclear.

They said clicker counters used by the club to tally the amount of revellers showed they had not broken the law.

Mrs Janet Pitt-Lewis, prosecuting for Wyre Forest District Council, said Operation Helios, staged by Kidderminster Police, showed 808 people counted in on December, 18, 1999, and 109 counted out. The figures made a total of 699.

Giving evidence, DC James Clifford said he used the clicker counter to clock the number of people entering and leaving the club from 8.39pm until 12.45am, with help from a colleague operating the camera.

Maynard Burton, representing the club owners, said the video evidence was flawed and police and club officials had yet to come up with the same figure of clubbers entering the Dixon Street venue despite studying the tapes three times each.

He said customers often used fire exits near a taxi rank at the rear of the site to leave the club, which meant figures had become distorted.

He added it was usual for the seven glass collectors employed to leave the premises and re-enter about 15 times a night.

Mirage now employs two doormen with a clicking-in and clicking-out counter to ensure counts were as accurate as possible.

The trial continues on Thursday, May 3.