Brixton O2 Academy concert crush blamed on security taking bribes

Safety guards had been recurrently taking bribes on the London venue the place two folks died in a crowd crush final month.

The Brixton O2 Academy, one of many metropolis’s most well-known music venues, was the scene of tragedy in December. A whole lot of individuals over the venue’s capability arrived for a gig by Afro-pop star Asake.

Two folks died within the ensuing crush. Mom of two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and safety guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, had been each taken to hospital on 15 December the place they later succumbed to their accidents.

Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby HutchinsonMet Police

The London Metropolitan Police have begun an investigation into what occurred. After recommendation by the police, the native council has suspended Brixton Academy’s licence for 3 months.

Brixton Academy’s house owners Academy Music Group (AMG) had already determined to shut for the three-month interval whatever the official suspension.

“O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the occasions which occurred on the evening of 15 December 2022 and expresses its honest condolences to the households of those that died throughout the tragic incident and its real considerations for anybody affected by it,” AMG mentioned.

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Some employees made £1,000 money

The reason behind the crush is believed to be folks arriving with out tickets and anticipating to be let in.

Chatting with the BBC, a safety guard on the venue has mentioned that members of his staff would every permit “a few hundred” additional folks into venues in trade for cash. Their employer, AP Safety, has declined to remark.

“There have been folks taking cash... Some employees made £1,000 money,” the guard mentioned.

“Our firm knew what was occurring and so they knew the individuals who had been doing it,” he advised the BBC, “and so they did nothing about it.”

In accordance with the nameless guard who was working the evening of the crush, there had been simply 110 members of safety on shift, when there ought to have been 190.

“It was like being in a automobile crash that is been actually terrible - being crashed on and stamped on,” he describes.

The safety guard works for a special safety agency to the one Gaby Hutchinson labored for and has not steered Hutchinson was concerned in taking bribes or letting folks in with out tickets.

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If you let a couple of folks in, they might textual content their associates, and so they'll textual content their associates

Nevertheless, he has accused his agency of permitting the follow.

“If you let a couple of folks in, they might textual content their associates, and so they'll textual content their associates. And the bouncers began being grasping, and it obtained out of hand. And other people needed to return in anyway, and not using a ticket.” he mentioned.

The bribe situation was identified to AP Safety, the guard alleges, as he claims to have been in two conferences the place complaints had been made about two specific people.

An nameless gig goer additionally confirmed to the BBC that safety personnel had been concerned in promoting pretend tickets. Attempting to purchase tickets to a live performance on the door, he was advised to take money out at an in depth by ATM the place he was given seemingly pretend tickets and rushed via the entrance entrance.

“It felt actually organised and it felt that we weren't the one those that obtained in that method,” the gig goer mentioned.