A top London hotel has been allowed to keep its licence after Met Police officers were allegedly attacked with bottles in a huge brawl. Police and security workers were hurt in the huge fight at W Hotel, Leicester Square on July 10. The luxury, five-star hotel on Wardour Street, Soho, was hosting an event at the time of the brawl. It is alleged that some guests took drugs in the bathroom and that “many” people turned up wearing ankle tags.
The Met Police claimed six people were hospitalised, including an officer, and added that an enquiry into the incident was ongoing. A manager of the hotel said the incident “must not happen again” and the company is dealing with it “with the utmost seriousness”. The Met Police called for a review of the hotel licence after the incident on July 10. Westminster City Council’s licensing team had said it supported the police and was worried about crime and disorder at W Hotel, according to a letter by a senior officer.
If the hotel had lost its licence, it would have been barred from selling alcohol and late-night refreshments. as well as from hosting live or recorded music. A representative for the hotel described how police officers at the scene retreated into a lift with guests to get away and call for backup. He said: “They retreat into a lift… and bottles and glasses continue to be thrown at them.”
