Owners of a nightclub where a devoted dad was gunned down have pledged to toughen security after it was temporarily closed under new powers.

Murder squad detectives were yesterday continuing the hunt for the killer of Damian Gordon, a 30-year-old father-of-one who was shot in the doorway of or outside Club Icon near Bradford city centre.

A request by Chief Superintendent Sarah Brown, commander of the Bradford South Police, to suspend the club’s premises licence with immediate effect has been supported by Bradford Council.

It is the first time the police and the Council have used the Violent Crime Reduction Act to temporarily close a club, said licensing panel chairman, Councillor Peter Hill.

Coun Hill said: “When somebody is shot dead, it is obviously a very, very serious offence and there are an awful lot of questions to be asked from the owners about the security of the club.”

A representative speaking on behalf of Club Icon licensee Gillian Gordon said she will challenge the panel’s decision to suspend the licence at a review hearing next month.

He said the security firm employing door staff at the time of the shooting, about 3.30am on Sunday, has already been replaced.

A spokesman for the Leeds-based firm ProTec, which operates door security at other venues in Bradford, confirmed it had been in negotiations with Club Icon with a view to taking over security.

Through her spokesman Mrs Gordon – no relation to murder victim Damian Gordon – said she wished to work with the police and the Council to address any problems.

Councillor Hill said the panel unanimously supported the police in using the new powers to temporarily close the club when it held an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

He said: “We think that this is the first time this has been used in West Yorkshire, if not the first in the country.

“The licensees will give evidence to a review hearing and that information will inform the decision given at the next review.”

Club Icon will put forward evidence to the licensing panel which will decide whether the premises licence will be re-instated.

The Club Icon spokesman said: “The police are quite within their rights to do what they think is correct but Club Icon is now looking at turning things around.”

He said: “The security company that was initially there and who were responsible for the safety of people at the time of the shooting is no longer there. We have a new security firm already in place and we have been in talks with its directors about how to move forward.”

Police are still investigating the possibility that the killer of family man Mr Gordon might have been captured on camera fleeing in a car from the scene of the shooting.

Detectives have been trawling footage taken by the Big Fish camera system.

West Yorkshire detectives believe there is a link to Manchester. A number of people from the city were in Club Icon at the time of the shooting and police want anyone on the premises to contact them.

Mr Gordon, who was born in Jamaica but lived with his wife and four-year-old son in Swain House, Bradford, was shot in the chest. Police said he was not known to them.

Anyone with information can call the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team on (01274) 376473, or text 07786 200806.