A Peckham nightclub previously shut down after a teenager was stabbed to death outside could have its licence revoked for “deliberate and flagrant” breaches of Covid-19 rules.   

Afrikiko Bar in Old Kent Road had its licence to run a nightclub revoked for more than two years in September 2017 after the murder of 19-year-old Daniel Namanga.

Despite objections from the Met Police, Southwark Council granted an application to allow it run as a nightclub again in December 2019.  

But the force has again asked the council to review Afrikiko’s licence after they found “numerous” breaches of Covid-19 laws, including operating illegally as a nightclub.

Nightclubs have been banned from operating since the March lockdown began. 

Following the review application, the committee agreed that the club’s licence should be suspended from October 2 until a full review is heard.  

Southwark officers have found the venue in breach of its licence several times over the years.

According to the council’s chief enforcement officer, all the fire extinguishers at Afrikiko were found to be out-of-date on one inspection. 

Police found on another visit that a six-month baby was among a crowd of 60 people downstairs with no safe way out if there was a fire.  

But manager Daniel Dormer told the local democracy service he believes the business is being targetted unfairly and said the incident in September when the baby was there was a private family birthday.

“You’re coming to a premises and saying that when you came there were 60 people, which is pure lies.  

“That day it was my son’s birthday. We were finished, about to go, and they came knocking on the window [saying] they have a warrant to search.  

“All the doors were shut, it was not public, it was family. The main thing I didn’t understand was my granddaughter was here – how can you run a nightclub with a granddaughter here?  

“All the police want is the business out of the way. We’re not doing anything wrong. We’ve complied with Covid.  

“They always have something to say when they come in.  

“How can the police visit one premises, within two months, 15 times?  They’re always here almost every day. Other clubs, other restaurants, they don’t even go there,” Mr Dormer said.  

In documents submitted to the council’s licensing department, police said Afrikiko “chose to operate in deliberate and flagrant breach of regulations and guidelines”. 

“The operator’s actions has put its staff and patrons at risk of contracting and spreading this infection, and increases the risk to London’s wider communities,” according to the police.  

During a raid in August, police also said staff were “deliberately obstructive by physically preventing officer’s entry and intentionally or recklessly creating dangerous conditions whilst officers are investigating potential offences”.  

A council enforcement officer also recommended revoking the licence. 

On a visit in early September, he described as Mr Dormer as “obstructive”. 

“[He] said that he did not have time for officers to show us around the premises and to show his CCTV he said he could not operate his own CCTV system.  

“I inspected the basement – the premises was partly flooded from the sewage water and I issued a Health and Safety Improvement notice for repairs to be carried out to stop the water leaking into the basement.  

“I was concerned that all the fire extinguishers in the premises were out of test date and needed to be serviced again this showed lack of fire safety within the premises.  

“I am concerned for public safety as the police have discovered on one occasion the basement nightclub was locked from the outside with around 60 people inside including a six months old baby putting all their lives at risk, if there was a fire they would not be able to escape from the basement to a place of safety,” he said.

The owners are set to learn the venue’s fate at a Southwark licensing sub-committee on Tuesday (October 27).