‘Crime-generating’ Heaven must stay shut until fate is decided

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

Heaven nightclub in London has lost its fight to reopen after being shut down by the Met after a woman alleged she was raped by a bouncer.

The club – under the arches at Villiers Street, Charing Cross – will remain shut until a full licensing hearing takes place next month, Westminster City council says.

The decision was handed down following a lengthy four-and-a-half hour meeting yesterday, which took place after Heaven challenged an interim suspension placed on it last week.

A lawyer for the council said: “The committee felt that permitting the premises to open without the premises licence holder working in partnership with police, who still have concerns, would still put members of the public at risk and the committee have a duty to ensure the premises licence holder is promoting the licensing objective and, in particular, public safety.”

Police wanted the venue to remain shut until a full hearing could take place but also proposed conditions such as reducing opening hours and capacity at the club should it reopen.

Gary Grant, representing the Met, said the alleged rape amounted to the ‘grossest breach of trust’ by a person employed by the venue to safeguard its users and accused the club of being a ‘huge crime generator’.

He said the alleged attack on a ‘paralytically drunk’ 18-year-old amounted to a huge failing of the nightclub’s security measures.

Jeremy Joseph, the licence holder, said he was ‘devastated and shocked’ by the alleged incident.

Morenikeji Adewole, of Dunlop Close, Dartford, who is also known as Olu Julius or Olusolu Alabi, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The 47-year-old has since been remanded in custody and will appear at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, December 11.

The Met Police report also mentioned another incident which took place on May 7 of this year, in which members of Heaven’s security team were allegedly filmed assaulting a customer in the street.

Pictured top: Heaven club at Charing Cross (Picture: Google Street View)