LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — London dance club Fabric, long a fixture of the city's nightlife, will shutter permanently after having its license revoked in the wake of two drug-related deaths at the venue.
According to The Guardian, the Licensing Sub-Committee of Islington's Council moved to revoke the club's license after a contentious hearing that stretched into the early morning hours.
The review found that security at the venue had been “inadequate and in breach of the license” and people entering the club were "inadequately searched," the Guardian reported.
As well, council members considered covert police investigations at the club that depicted a permissive setting, with people openly selling drugs in the venue and that staff should have been aware of it.
“Staff intervention and security was grossly inadequate in light of the overwhelming evidence that it was abundantly obvious that patrons in the club were on drugs and manifesting symptoms showing that they were," The Council's decision read, per The Guardian.
“This included sweating, glazed red eyes and staring into space, and people asking for help.”
Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie made an impassioned case for the club to remain open during the hearing, the Guardian said, arguing that the venue had bolstered their security offerings in recent years and were recognized as “a beacon of best practice” by a judge in 2015.
Leslie also expressed the club's willingness to make further changes, and suggested that the license review was a “premeditated exercise,” the Guardian said.
The venue, which opened in 1999, was a popular night spot for London dance music fans and more than 150,000 people signed a petition calling for the venue to be allowed to re-open. – Staff Writers
