Brixton Academy’s license could be temporarily suspended after a crowd at an Asake concert this month killed two people.
The incident took place on December 15, when people outside the venue tried and managed to force their way into the Nigerian star’s show, causing the venue to be overcrowded and the concert half cancelled. way through.
Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died in hospital on Saturday morning (December 17), while Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died on Monday (December 19). The third assistant, aged 21, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Following the incident, Scotland Yard called for the venue’s license to be temporarily suspended, alleging “serious crime and disorder” during the show, and the Metropolitan Police has launched a further criminal investigation, calling for a review of the centre’s licence. Currently, the place is still closed.
Decisions will be made in Lambeth Council Chambers today (December 22) regarding venue capacity, policing, alcohol sales and the suspension of the O2 Academy licence.
A Met spokesman said: “The decision to suspend or amend the venue’s license will be taken by the Local Authority Licensing Sub-Committee.”
The license review application added: “Police were called to the premises in response to reports of a serious disorder which posed a clear threat to public safety. During the incident, a crowd forced their way into the premises , which caused serious injuries to several people and two of them lost their lives.
“The Met advises that the premises are involved in serious crime and serious disorder. A certificate signed by Detective Superintendent Daniel Ivey has been provided to that effect.”
In an open letter, Lambeth councilors wrote: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson who lost their lives, as well as those who remain in hospital and those who are suffering the trauma of such difficult scenes in one of them. the live music venues in our municipality.
“The center is currently closed and we are going to carry out an urgent and in-depth review of its licence, which covers the legal conditions it must meet to operate, including its public safety measures. The Metropolitan Police have applied for “summary. review” on Tuesday of the license”.
“The City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee will meet to consider immediate action to be taken in relation to the premises, prior to a full review of the premises’ license which must be completed within 28 days.
“This review will be part of ongoing efforts to seek answers and ensure that such an incident does not happen again.”
The headquarters said it is “still devastated by this tragic situation and fully supports the ongoing investigation.”
Police have appealed to anyone with information that could help clear up the case and have created an online portal to send information, images or recordings. Approximately 4,000 witnesses were present at the time of the incident.
Asake posted a statement on his social media accounts on Saturday in response to the news of Ikumelo’s death, saying he had spoken to his family and “will continue to do so.”
“I am overwhelmed with grief and I could never imagine something like this happening,” he wrote.
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