The Groucho Membership has been compelled to shut as police examine whether or not the venue was the scene of a severe legal offence.
On Tuesday Westminster council dominated that the licence of the membership, which counts many A-list celebrities amongst its members, must be instantly suspended for 28 days. A full listening to will then happen.
The Metropolitan police stated it had utilized for the suspension “on the grounds that the venue had breached its licensing situations and had been the scene of a current severe legal offence”.
The closure comes because the run-up to Christmas is starting – normally probably the most profitable occasions of 12 months.
The Groucho Membership’s chief govt, Elli Jafari, wrote to members and apologised for the short-term closure on Tuesday, including that it had taken the applying to overview its licence “very severely”.
“The membership’s licence has been suspended by settlement with Westminster metropolis council and we now have made the choice to shut the membership pending a full listening to earlier than Christmas,” Jafari stated.
A council spokesperson stated: “Following a request from the Metropolitan police and with the settlement of the operator, the council’s licensing subcommittee has determined to droop the Groucho Membership’s licence with fast impact on the idea that the premises is related to severe crime.
“This choice follows reviews {that a} severe crime might have taken place on the premises in circumstances linked to a breach within the premises’ licensing situations.
“The allegations are topic to an ongoing police investigation and we can’t remark additional at this stage.”
A receptionist on the membership, the place membership reportedly prices as much as £1,500 a 12 months, confirmed that the membership’s licence had been suspended and declined to make any additional feedback.
The Groucho Membership, in Dean Avenue, Soho, was based in 1985 by a bunch of publishers and brokers, and has been frequented by successive generations of artists, writers and musicians. It took its title from Groucho Marx, who famously stated he would didn’t wish to belong to any membership that will have him as a member.
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