After a lengthy campaign to prevent the closure of iconic London club Fabric, which included a 150,000-person strong petition and support from the mayor Sadiq Khan, Islington Council took the decision to revoking the club's license, effective immediately.
The decision was made after a lengthy hearing last night, which ran well into the early hours of this morning, and included statements from Metropolitan Police, musical artists, and family members of one of the deceased club-goers (who spoke on the side of saving the night spot).
Islington Council chose to remove the club's license, stating “The extent of the drug use was such that security and staff would have or should have been able to observe not only the use of drugs but also the effect of drug use on a large number of patrons and these groups in particular.” The council also described security at the venue “grossly inadequate.”
Since the announcement, Fabric have now issued a statement which reads as follows: “fabric is extremely disappointed with Islington Council’s decision to revoke our license. This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.”
