The Metropolitan Police had asked Islington Council to review the world-famous club’s licence following four drug-related deaths in the past three years. In the most recent incident an 18-year-old girl died after buying MDMA inside the Farringdon club.
But more than 30,000 people signed a last-ditch online petition demanding that Fabric’s licence be renewed, and last night the club was given the go-ahead to continue after bosses agreed to hire seven £300-a-night sniffer dogs to check clubbers for drugs.
A package of conditions means the club will also have to introduce ID checks for clubbers, improve its CCTV surveillance and have more drug searches at the door.
The London Evening Standard reported that Fabric would be the first club in the capital to have drug dogs regularly on patrol, and said each dog and handler would cost £300 for a four-hour shift.
Paddy Whur, the club’s solicitor, told the paper: “They will need seven dogs per night because they can only work for a certain number of hours.”
Top DJ Annie Mac and electronic music duos The Chemical Brothers and Groove Armada were among those who backed the last-ditch campaign to save Fabric.
The club said in a statement: “We care deeply about the welfare of our patrons. Fabric has always operated a zero tolerance drugs policy and we’re proud to continue to be open and honest in assisting the police with any incident investigations.”
