London’s long-standing nightclub Fabric is facing possible closure over four-drug related deaths, two of which have occurred in the last three months.
Fabric could be stripped of its licence and forced to close if Islington council agrees with Police requests at tonight’s Licensing Committee held by the council.
The Metropolitan police has filed papers detailing the "unacceptable number of deaths and near death incidents at the venue” and is asking Islington council to “seriously consider” revoking the club’s licence.
A number of measures, including the introduction of an ID scanning system and drug dogs stationed outside the club be implemented, have also been suggested.
Police Constable Steven Harrington stated in the papers that “in the last three years, there have been eight incidents of patrons collapsing at the venue having taken illegal substances drugs, ” including MDMA.
“Four of these incidents resulted in the near death of the victims and four have resulted, unfortunately, in the death of the victims, ” he wrote.
Fabric nightclub in Farringdon, London
The incidents listed have happened since 2011, the last of which occurred on 15 September, and Constable Harrington has complained that Fabric staff did not call or request police attendance for any of these incidents, instead it has been the London Ambulance Service or hospital staff that have informed authorities.
Constable Harrington added: “The level of this type of incident are wholly disproportionate to other late night club venues in the area. I am not aware of any similar incidents at any of the other club venues in Islington Borough or in fact within the Metropolitan Police Service.”
The police claim that despite a number of recommendations from the force to attempt to prevent drugs being sold on Fabric’s premises, the club has stopped short of implementing the recommendations.
The club, which was twice voted the best in the world by DJ Magazine, has received fierce support from the public who wish to see it stay open, while many residents have backed its closure.
One resident told the Islington Gazette that they saw a group of men “tripping” and “out of their box on something more than alcohol” and complained about their behaviour, while another said they find it “appalling” that people “can move close to a nightclub that has stood there for 10 years, adding much to the city’s culture and diversity, and then complain about the noise”.
Megan Long