Lambeth Council has temporarily suspended the licence of O2 Academy Brixton after a crowd surge at the venue resulted in two people losing their lives.
The fatal crush occurred on December 15 during a gig by Afro-pop singer Asake when a large number of people tried to enter the foyer. Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died on Saturday, while Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died on Monday.
Lambeth Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee took the decision to suspend the venue’s licence following the Met Police submitting an application for a ‘Summary License Review’ on December 20.
Cllr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth’s Cabinet member for Safer Communities, said: ‘A tragic incident has happened in our borough and we are dealing with its devastating impact on our communities. Our thoughts are with those who have suffered, especially the families and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson who have tragically lost their lives.
‘I wish to thank my colleagues on the sub-committee for their careful and rigorous work in looking at this issue at this first stage of the process. We will now continue with our work to reassure our communities about safety at the venue, get the answers needed about how this happened and support the Met police investigations into these tragic events.’
