Shoreditch nightclub Cargo stripped of license for ‘failing to tackle violence’

Coronavirus - Sat Jul 4, 2020
People outside Cargo in Shoreditch
PA
John Dunne @jhdunne16 December 2021

An east London nightclub has been stripped of its license after failing to crack down on crime in and around the premises.

Police had been monitoring the Cargo club in Shoreditch after a rise in criminal incidents.

The incidents includes minor assaults, large scale disorder and serious violence.

In August, in the first month after the night time economy fully reopened following lockdown, there were 20 thefts and eight violent incidents.

A venue with a similar capacity in the same area saw no reports of thefts and just two incidents of violence. The same pattern has been repeated consistently, the Metropolitan Police said.

Officers from the Central East Command Unit’s licensing team applied to Hackney Council to have Cargo’s licence reviewed after meetings with the club’s management failed to produce any results.

At a hearing of the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on Tuesday, a decision was taken to revoke the licence of the club in Rivington Street.

Inspector Andy Durrant, from the Central East Basic Command Unit, said: “The management of Cargo nightclub did not address key concerns frequently raised by the police relating to high levels of crime and disorder in and around their venue. The committee’s decision is the result of those repeated failings.

“There is no greater responsibility for police than the safety of the public. We thank the residents of Hackney and Tower Hamlets who supported our application to have this licence reviewed and took the time to attend the hearing.

“Police licensing officers will continue to engage with Cargo’s management team, and licensees across Hackney and Tower Hamlets, in an effort to secure a much improved environment for people living and working in the area.”

Chief Inspector Lucky Singh, who leads on the night time economy in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “We are extremely proud of the night time economy here in Shoreditch and we want it to be the safest and most secure in London. We want all visitors to have a safe and positive experience and we work closely with venues to achieve this.

“We will always provide assistance and guidance in the first instance and our officers will go on investing a lot of time in an effort to help venues to improve.

“However, where they continue to fail to play their part in delivering improvements on key issues like safety and security, it is right that we take robust action as we did in the case of Cargo.

“I’m confident that the committee’s decision will be welcome news for local residents, neighbouring businesses and other visitors to the area who have suffered for too long because of the continued crime and disorder in and around this particular venue.”

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