A Muswell Hill club has had its licence revoked after a late night shooting incident sparked fear among residents.
The Socialite Bar, sandwiched between two eateries on Muswell Hill Broadway, is appealing the decision by Haringey Council which followed a police review.
The Met carried out its review after a young man was shot at 3am on November 5, following alleged “violent disorder” inside the venue.
Police said the victim was treated in hospital for two gunshot wounds but survived the attack.
Scores of residents left shocked by the shooting, believed to have taken place in a nearby alleyway, wrote to the council to support the Socialite Bar’s licence review.
One said the “horrifying event” in November was “completely unwelcome but inevitable”.
Another added: “I was woken by a gang of young men screaming at each and running around the immediate area outside my house… they were carrying weapons of some kind and finally roared away in two cars.”
Residents claimed it was not an isolated incident, with one stating: “Every weekend we suffer intolerable disturbance and are awakened by fighting, shouts, screaming, punch-ups in the very early hours of the morning.”
The bar has appealed the licencing committee’s decision and can continue to sell alcohol and open until 3.30am on weekend nights until the hearing in July at Highbury Magistrate’s Court.
Its owner John Bryan told the Ham & High: “We’re appealing the council’s decision because the club has a really good reputation but we do need more police in the area as I agree there’s a lot of trouble around here.
“Apart from one incident that has happened all other incidents that happen are now piled on to us but understandably the residents see the club as a whole as being the problem which is unfortunate. I completely understand why they feel that way. We’d rather it wasn’t like that.
“We are extremely careful that we only appeal to the right type of people with our door policy. We’re not about making money, we’re about people’s safety.”
Councillor Peray Ahmet, Cabinet Member for Environment, told the Standard: “We are taking the toughest action possible against Socialite Bar. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our priority and we will not turn a blind eye to incidents that put them at risk.
"We will take action against any premises that we, and the police, find to be a constant problem for our residents.”
