A MOTHER revealed today how her son had been refused admission to a York nightclub before he tragically died while walking home.

Susan Davies, of Copmanthorpe, was appealing for clubs to do more to protect the safety of people turned away or ejected from their premises.

She said staff could, for example, routinely allow them to ring a relative or a taxi to get home safely.

Joseph Davies, 18, died after being struck by a train at Dringhouses in the early hours of May 9 after apparently trying to take a short-cut on his way home.

The driver was unable to stop the train, which was travelling south at 70mph.

British Transport Police said his death was being treated as a tragic accident, and there were thought to be no suspicious circumstances.

Mrs Davies said her son had earlier been turned away from The Gallery nightclub in Clifford Street, York, and split up from the party of friends with whom he had been out on the town.

"Presumably, he had had too much to drink," she said.

She claimed that, in such circumstances, it would be better if clubs did something to help ensure people got home safely.

"We all know young people can test the limits at times, but that is when they need help."

She claimed that less than three weeks after her son's death, her 19-year-old niece had been thrown out of the same nightclub, without being able to let a friend know where she was and without enough money to get a taxi home.

York licensing officer PC Ashley Fitzhugh said such matters were not part of the licensing process but a management issue.

In some circumstances, staff did offer assistance to people refused access or ejected, although the help was not always accepted.

Gallery manager David Harris said that clubs were obliged under their licences to refuse admission to people incapable because of drink, but were not legally obliged to arrange transport home for everyone - and nor would it be practicable, with between 60 and 100 people regularly refused admission on a Friday or Saturday night.

However, he stressed that The Gallery did often make efforts to assist people, particularly females on their own, for example, by allowing them to use the office phone to call home or get a taxi. The incident involving Mrs Davies' niece must have been an isolated one.

He added that an important issue in York was the way "certain establishments" were encouraging people to get drunk, for example by offering trebles for the price of a single.

Updated: 09:59 Wednesday, June 11, 2003