A YOUNG woman suffered horrific cuts after a glass bottle smashed in her face at a Wrexham nightclub.

Nicola Roberts, 20, of Hightown, who is a second year English student at Leicester University, was enjoying a birthday celebration for one of her friends at Liquid and Envy in Brook Street, Wrexham, in the early hours of Friday morning when the incident took place.

As she stood by one of the bars a glass bottle, which had been thrown across the club, hit her on the head and smashed in her face.

She ended up drenched in blood and required 17 stitches for three deep cuts she sustained dangerously close to her eye.

She said: “The result could have been much worse, however, what has actually happened is life changing enough for me.

“I was completely drenched in blood and had to be carried by bouncers to the accident room. I was taken via ambulance to hospital.

“I had to have anaesthetic and 17 stitches and since the incident I have had blurred and limited vision through my left eye as well as a permanent headache and unbearable pain.

“Not only will this scar me for life physically but I am now cautious of going outside and too self-conscious to leave the house or go out again.”

Determined that no-one else should suffer the same torment, she has now started an online petition demanding that nightclubs are made to use only unbreakable polycarbonate bottles instead of glass.

Nicola, who is hoping to be well enough to return to university next month, said: “I am well aware that I am not the only person who has ever been affected by the use of glass bottles in clubs but I have started my petition as I am someone who will fight for what I believe is right, especially as there is an alternative out there in the form of polycarbonate bottles.

“I contacted the specific nightclub chain where my incident happened questioning their use of glass. The response I received from the head of customer services was a comprehensive yet frustrating one.

“He stated they had trialled polycarbonate bottles previously and they were received negatively as people preferred to drink out of glass. He said customers would move to another late night venue where glass was served. Therefore they could not be expected to lose custom and so switched back to glass.

“One point he did make was that they switched back was because it was not legislation to use polycarbonate. The clubs are clearly willing to use polycarbonate however they don’t want to lose custom, so if all the clubs had no choice but to use polycarbonate then people would have no option but to use them and it would become the norm.

“If there was an advertising campaign or just more awareness of the safety implications of glass, I am pretty sure people would be happy to switch, after all, it’s the same drink inside, it is purely packaging.”

She added: “Since becoming an innocent victim of a crime centred on this issue I am now determined to change this and make a difference and I pledge to do whatever it takes to get this issue noticed.

“I know the government has an interest in alcohol, binge-drinking, youth culture and this connected issue deserves just as much attention. Even if, as a result of my unfortunate incident one person can avoid gaining similar life-changing injuries, then I will have achieved something.”

Nicola’s petition is at www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17591.

- A spokesman for Liquid and Envy said: “North Wales Police confirmed officers were called to the club at 1.38am on September 16 to deal with reports of a disturbance which led to a number of people being taken to hospital, including a female with more serious injuries.”