“Absolutely disgusted with Met Police’s attempted intervention advising Westminster not to grant a late-hours license for the proposed Blue Note Club. The most important issue is that a police force is interfering in the provision of music and entertainment in the West End on the grounds of assumptions about the behaviour of the would be patrons. The Met apparently think some of the customers will emerge from the club ‘worse for wear’ at closing time – what a patronising , ignorant assumption – and also that hordes of criminals will be there to take advantage of the more vulnerable. As if this frequently happens outside Ronnie Scott’s or Pizza Express Dean Street ??! The Met ‘s job is to monitor the area at closing time to ensure the peace is maintained. This is the West End of one of the biggest cities in the world. The police obviously think it’s just a town with too much going on and they want the easiest time possible. London has lost enough late night music clubs and venues without the police trying to close another one and impinging on civil liberties.”

Great video post on the petition too, Gerard!