London nightclub faces closure after following gunfight incident

London nightclub faces closure after following gunfight incident
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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.Ā 

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 ā€œThis 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 occurringā€. 

ā€œThe incident that took place outside Ricco Lounge on the 13 October 2024 was incredibly serious and this cannot be understatedā€. 

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 ā€œpoor and inadequate searches”, and a “failure to identify obvious risksā€. 

A report presented to the licensing committee police stated that ā€œThe 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 drugsā€¦ 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 itā€. 

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. 

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio ĆØ Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.