A SELBY town centre club is relaunching this weekend after a run of bad luck which has seen it lose trade.

The management team at Club Inferno, in Water Lane - previously Disco Inferno - is introducing a host of new specialist nights at the venue, as well as promoting local talent.

They have also drafted in a fire-eating dancer to spice up the nightspot.

Club owner Andy Boycott said: "Basically, we've had a bit of bad press about the club recently, with a brawl in the street outside the club - which didn't actually involve Inferno. We're still suffering from that and our trading is still down quite a bit.

"We want to put the message out that Club Inferno is a safe, enjoyable environment for anyone wanting to go out in Selby."

Tonight, the club will be playing commercial dance music on one floor, and a selection of "funky house" and "dirty electro" tunes on the other.

Mr Boycott said they were holding a special rave event, Upright, on Sunday, May 27.

He has drafted in local promoters Tony Sowerby, DJ Swiv and DJ Sy, who run Selby-based R3ToX.

The group will launch a series of events at the club, with a launch party on June 30.

"We've been hired to re-brand the struggling venue, in a bid to win back the hearts and minds of the area's clubbing community," said Mr Sowerby.

The June 30 party will feature a techno floor and a house floor, with big names like Pedro Delgardo and Gary Lightfoot heading the bill.

On May 6, the trance music final of a competition to find talented local DJs will be held at the club. SLYD - support your local DJ - is an event run by R3Tox and supported by Galaxy FM.

Gatecrasher residents, Riley & Durrant, will play on the night.

In January, The Press reported how five police officers were injured while breaking up a late-night brawl near the club.

Grzegorz Bak, 28, of Flaxley Court, Selby, is due to appear in Selby Magistrates Court on May 11, charged with assaulting the five officers. He has pleaded not guilty to all offences.

Mr Boycott said the incident had not involved people from the club - despite police reports - and he had taken up the issue with North Yorkshire Police's professional standards department.

Earlier this month, the club hit the headlines again after bailiffs removed beer and furniture from the property.

Mr Boycott said the incident had been prompted by the dissolution of his business partnership with Ian Wright, with whom he co-owned the club.