Hackney Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee last night revoked the premises licence for Herbal nightclub, Kingsland Road, on the grounds of crime and disorder and public nuisance.


The club’s licence was removed after Police presented compelling and well documented evidence of frequent drug dealing as well as the open consumption of Class A drugs at the premises.


This followed an undercover operation where covert officers were deployed inside the club to identify potential dealers. A man was also arrested from outside the club in possession of a quantity of Ecstasy, which he claimed to have bought from a Spanish woman inside the club. Extremely high traces of cocaine were found in toilets and bags that had contained drugs were littering the floor of the Ladies.

Cllr Alan Laing, said: “Herbal nightclub had become a dive where drugs were dealt and taken quite openly. We had no hesitation whatsoever in taking the necessary steps to close it down. There is no place for this kind of establishment in Hackney. End of story.”


Ends