Brixton Academy: Met says it wants new operator to run venue after crush deaths

The Met Police has said it does not want the O2 Academy Brixton to close permanently after a crush which claimed two lives.

The venue’s licence was suspended last December after the deadly crush when fans without tickets tried to force their way in to a gig by Asake.

Academy Music Group (AMG) said it had improved its safety measures at a meeting in which the company appealed for its licence to be re-instated.

But the Met said it did not have confidence in AMG at a meeting to review the decision to suspend the venue’s licence at Lambeth Town Hall on Tuesday.

Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the Met, said: “The police do not wish to close the Academy... they believe AMG Ltd shouldn’t be the licensee.”

He added: “I’m not permitted to go further into the reasons.”

The force asked Lambeth Council to remove the venue’s licence after the crush claimed the lives of security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33.

A 21-year-old woman remains in hospital in a critical condition following injuries sustained in the incident.

Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, who died following a crowd crush outside an Asake concert at the O2 Academy Brixton (Family Handout/PA) (PA Wire)

The comments were made during the second day of a hearing of the council’s licensing sub-committee - much of which was held in private.

Closing the case for AMG, Philip Kolvin KC said the company had always had a “very close relationship with the police”.

On Monday, Mr Kolvin told the committee the venue had developed new safety measures in an effort to have its licence restored, including stronger doors, a better queuing system and more secure ticketing.

AMG, which runs 18 music venues across the UK - including three others in London - said changes to its operating policies had been developed by “leading professionals”, to prevent a repeat of last year’s events.

The company, which has operated the venue for 20 years, had done “all in its power to analyse what went wrong”, Mr Kolvin added.

Gaby Hutchinson was named as the second person to have died after a crowd crush at the O2 Brixton Academy (Met Police/PA) (PA Wire)

Earlier in the hearing, representatives of the council’s licensing authority said they believed the venue would be able to reopen, subject to conditions.

The committee was set to begin its deliberations on whether to grant a new licence for the venue on Wednesday.