Revellers attempted to force their way into the venue where Nigerian musician Asake was performing.
When ticketless fans stormed the show on December 15, security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, were killed. It has since been claimed that security personnel at the venue may have accepted bribes.
The Security Industry Authority (SIAdirector )’s of inspections and enforcement, Paul Fullwood, said the body will now launch its own investigation into what happened while assisting the Metropolitan Police with its investigation.
He stated that the body was made aware of media reports following the broadcast of an episode of BBC File On 4: Catastrophe At The Academy, in which the allegations against the venue’s security staff were made.
“As the UK’s regulator of the private security industry, we take allegations of corruption by security operatives extremely seriously,” he said. We have launched an investigation into these allegations, which appear to go beyond the Brixton O2 Academy.
“As part of our regulatory licencing responsibility across the private security industry, we will also review licencing arrangements and take appropriate action against any individual or company engaging in such practises.”
According to File On 4, a security guard at the venue told the show that some members of the security staff would each let ‘a couple of hundred’ people in for money.
“People were taking money… “Some employees made £1,000 cash,” he told the show. “Our company knew what was going on and knew who was doing it,” he continued, “and they did nothing about it.”
Lambeth Council’s licencing sub-committee decided to suspend the venue’s licence for three months. The venue’s owner, Academy Music Group (AMG), supported the decision and expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the incident.
The full extent of the injuries caused by the crush, according to Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the Met Police, is still unknown.
The incident occurred when revellers attempted to force their way in during a performance by Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter Asake.
“It started at 8pm, so by 9pm, I understand a large crowd of about 1,000 people had formed outside the entrance to the premises, giving the appearance of entering the building,” he said.
“The venue’s staff closed the entrance doors and called the police for assistance. And we’ve set a time for that call: 9.04pm. The cops arrived at 9:16 p.m.
When they arrived, they found large-scale disorder, the crowd pushing against the doors, trying to force them open, which they eventually did. When the doors were broken down, the crowd poured into the lobby and into the auditorium.
“Several of them fell to the ground. Several people were injured as the crowd surged on and over those who had fallen. We don’t yet know the total number, which will be determined as the investigation continues.”
He also stated that, in addition to the two dead, a third person is still in critical condition in the hospital as a result of the incident.
More news from Brixton
