'Indecent exposure, vomiting and rape' - but new nightclub allowed to open in 'problem' London venue
A new nightclub will be allowed to open at a South London venue which was shut down last year after an alleged rape inside the premises. Eddie Hanson, Deputy Mayor of Camden , had his application to open Vision Lounge on the Old Kent Road approved by Southwark councillors at a meeting on Thursday (January 30), despite opposition from local residents, the Met Police and the council's own licensing team. Club 701, the previous venue to operate out of the building which is unrelated to Mr Hanson, was stripped of its licence by the council in February 2024 after an alleged rape there. The club was open without the correct authorisation at the time. Residents told the licensing meeting that they had endured 10 years of disturbances from previous clubs operating out of the same premises, including crime, indecent exposure and unlicensed food vendors setting up barbecues in the street nearby to serve drunken customers. Eddie Hanson, Deputy Mayor of Camden, said he had ...