THE bosses of an Essex city's biggest nightclub are keeping their fingers crossed for the future of the venue.

ATIK, in Colchester High Street, was due to close on June 3 but the club remained open following an eleventh-hour U-turn after “last-minute talks with the landlord”.

More than 30 employees are in limbo regarding the future of their jobs while discussions over ATIK’s future continue.

A spokesperson for the club said: “Negotiations are progressing well with the landlord that will hopefully secure the nightclub’s future, which is an important part of Colchester’s late-night economy and will save 30 plus jobs.”

Echo: Venue - ATIK ColchesterVenue - ATIK Colchester

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Why was ATIK Colchester closing?

Speaking previously, a spokesperson for ATIK said: “Unfortunately, late-night trading, particularly around the 18- to 19-year-old market in Colchester has been challenging, so we have therefore taken the difficult decision to close the venue on June 3.

“We will work on our long-term plans for the venue and in the meantime, we would like to thank our staff and guests who have helped make ATIK such a great place to enjoy a night out since launching in 2016.”

But two days before the planned closure, the club's bosses announced they "may have found a way to keep the venue open".

A statement said: “Our main priority is to keep ATIK Colchester open for our guests and staff.

"Following last-minute talks with the landlord, we may have found a way to keep the venue open.

"As a result, we will not be closing [on June 3] and will be operating as usual.

"We hope to confirm the future of the site within a couple of weeks.”

Following the announcement of the club's closure, the boss of Colchester's business improvement district Sam Good said the Government has a responsibility to ensure other venues aren’t forced down the same path.