London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A West London nightclub may lose its license after a gunfight broke out during a health and safety officer’s visit to investigate crime claims.Â
Ricco Lunge in Kensington, a West London nightclub, faces potential license cancelling after a gun battle reportedly broke out as a safety consultant investigated crime and disorder allegations.
The purpose of this visit was to address the concerns raised by Kensington and Chelsea Council over the venue’s operations.
David Nevitte stated he had to take cover behind a car as shots were fired outside Ricco Lounge, Kensington, on October 13.
He was appointed by the local licensing authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), due to safety concerns about the venue.
The Metropolitan Police has recommended the permanent closure of the club, while the venue’s owner has rejected many claims made by the authorities.
Mr Nevitte detailed how he was caught in a suspected gun battle between rival groups as he watched customers arrive and leave the venue in the early hours.
No one was injured from the incident, but several bullet casings were recovered from the scene.
The MET police claim the club’s security guards allowed customers in without proper search and that it took four days for managers to notify the police about a customer carrying a firearm.
The force said in a statement “This lack of action is both shocking and completely unacceptable. A call to police would have prevented the subsequent shooting, which was only 90 minutes away from occurring”.
“The incident that took place outside Ricco Lounge on the 13 October 2024 was incredibly serious and this cannot be understated”.
The Metropolitan police claim the club is linked to “serious crime and serious disorder” and wants its license revoked. Police stated that an investigation was ongoing. One individual has been charged with firearm possession with intent to endanger life and violent disorder.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the MET police reported that a taxi driver informed the club’s staff about a gun-carrying customer but they failed to call the police.
The police also said that this fight was the result of “poor and inadequate searches”, and a “failure to identify obvious risks”.
A report presented to the licensing committee police stated that “The searches that were carried out were of a substandard quality and would have provided little to no deterrent to anyone intent on carrying weapons or drugs… If a customer was intent on taking a firearm (or any other weapon) into the premises, then the quality of searching would likely not have detected it”.
The MET also reported that more than 10 customers were allowed entry without their IDs being checked, and the event organizer failed to provide a guest list for the private function which was said to be a footballer’s birthday event.
Since the October 13 incident, the venue has voluntarily closed.
The owner of the venue Chelsea Event & Entertainment Ltd, said “a vast array of factual inaccuracies” and would not comment until the licensing meeting on November 25.