MARBELLA CLUB

Spanish police were waiting yesterday to interview 39-year-old Peter Mitchell, who is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries. Mitchell, who fled to Spain in 1996, had been one of a number of gangsters targeted in a major state operation against the Gilligan gang.Security sources in the Republic last night linked the murder bid on the Spanish coast to a new campaign by rival Irish criminals against Gilligan and his associates. Earlier this month it was revealed that Gilligan was receiving 24-hour protection inside Portlaoise to safeguard him from other prisoners.
Rival criminals are angry over his recent interview in Irish pop magazine Hot Press, via a mobile phone. This contributed to a security crackdown, which has affected the operations of other gang leaders inside. A Gardai source said: 'Up until then, a number of jailed criminals were still able to run their empires from inside. Now they can't communicate with their teams and they blame Gilligan for that.'Gilligan was badly beaten up by a young Dublin criminal in front of other inmates. And these rivals are not just prepared to go after him it seems; they have the team and the firepower to hunt down the remaining members of his old gang, most of whom are now in Spain.'

Jennifer Metcalfe escaped injury yesterday after being caught up in a gunfight at a Marbella nightclub.The 25-year-old actress was partying with friends at the Spanish resort's Nikki Beach Club during a break in filming when the 'pandemonium' began.A gun fight broke out around 2am and two men – thought to be British – were shot.
Witnesses commented that a group of British friends exchanged blows with another group of men and "attacked each other with broken bottles".Then a throng of clubbers including Jennifer ran in panic to the doors after hearing gunshots.
Another witness added: "It was like the Wild West. Everybody dived for cover."
Jennifer - who plays Mercedes McQueen in Hollyoaks - left the club in tears as the victims were taken to hospital.One of them, a 42-year-old, reportedly needed surgery to remove two bullets from his leg. Nikki Beach is popular with sports stars, TV personalities and Z-List celebrities who flock to the resort each yearThe shooting is the second in two days in the Marbella area.