Key Points
- Licence Revamp: The Camden council has placed stringent rules consisting of 49 licensing conditions on ‘The Camden’ owing to various reports of safety breaches.
- Violent Episodes: According to the Metropolitan Police, managers have failed to alert emergency services in case of repeated brawls and one such case saw a woman being hit in the stomach.
- Non-Compliance Culture: According to the police, the management of the club has a “culture of non-compliance” in which they have allegedly not provided the CCTV footage and violated conditions to cut expenses.
- Shorter Operating Hours: Due to the hearing, the venue will now have shortened operating hours in which the weekends closure time has moved from 4am to 2am.
- Repeated Breaches: The above hearing comes after another previous hearing in May 2025 which saw the venue getting warned due to its staff immigration issues and earlier violations.
Camden (Extra London News) August 18, 2026 – Camden Council has imposed a rigorous new set of operating conditions on a local events space and nightclub following a series of serious allegations regarding public safety and management failures. The council’s decision comes after a hearing held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, where the Metropolitan Police presented evidence of repeated licensing breaches and a “culture of non-compliance” at The Camden, located in the borough of Camden.
Why were the police concerned about The Camden?
The Metropolitan Police detailed a series of incidents that they claim demonstrate a disregard for public safety. As reported by Josef Steen, a Local Democracy Reporter for My London, police stated that managers at the venue twice failed to alert them following violent altercations.
One such incident involved a patron punching a woman in the stomach, an act described as “triggering her to have a panic attack.” Despite the assailant being ejected from the premises, the police alleged that the venue’s management made no attempt to identify or detain the individual, nor did they notify the authorities. On the same night, a separate fight broke out involving other customers; again, management reportedly failed to contact the police.
What did the police allege regarding the owner and CCTV footage?
During the licensing hearing, the Metropolitan Police levelled serious accusations against the premises licence holder, Mr Kashka Ray. According to the reporting by Josef Steen of My London, police officials expressed deep concerns that Mr Ray was actively withholding critical CCTV footage that could have provided evidence of alleged crimes occurring within the club.
Furthermore, the Met claimed that Mr Ray had been captured on camera sneaking patrons into the venue past 1:00 am on New Year’s Eve, a clear violation of their licensed operating hours. Police lawyer Michael Feeney told the hearing: “They just don’t care,” reflecting the force’s frustration with the venue’s persistent failure to adhere to the law.
What is the history of licensing reviews at the venue?
This is not the first time The Camden has been subject to scrutiny by local authorities. The venue, which first opened its doors in 2022, previously faced a licensing review in May 2025. During that review, the Metropolitan Police raised significant concerns regarding repeated violations of licensing conditions and questions surrounding the immigration status of a member of staff.
At that time, the Met pushed for the revocation of the venue’s licence. However, a compromise was reached that saw the introduction of additional rules. It was noted in the hearing that the managers who had initially agreed to these measures subsequently left the venue. Since May 2025, police have documented further breaches, including the failure to produce CCTV footage in a timely manner and the unauthorised hosting of an under-18s event in July 2026, which violated conditions prohibiting children on the premises.
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How did the venue respond to the allegations?
In their defence, the venue’s legal representatives argued that The Camden was being subjected to excessive regulation. The club’s solicitor claimed that the establishment was struggling to comply with the 150 conditions currently imposed upon them by the council, citing the difficulty of recruiting sufficiently qualified staff as a primary reason for these lapses.
Addressing the specific incident where a woman was punched, the venue’s solicitor characterised it as a “domestic incident,” asserting that the woman involved had expressed a desire for the man to be removed rather than for the police to be involved. This defence was dismissed as “laughable” by the police legal team.
What are the new conditions imposed by the council?
Following the testimony, the licensing panel decided to scrap the existing complex rulebook, replacing it with 49 “simplified” conditions. These changes, which incorporate proposals floated by the Metropolitan Police, will significantly alter the club’s operations.
The new restrictions include:
- Mandatory closure by midnight from Sunday to Tuesday.
- Mandatory closure by 1:00 am on Wednesday and Thursday.
- A reduction in weekend operating hours, moving the closing time from 4:00 am back to 2:00 am.
Councillor Richard Atkins, representing the Green Party, emphasised the gravity of the situation during the hearing, stating: “If there are venues struggling to keep hold of their security based on [this] information, violence against women and girls is more likely to be perpetrated, which is not something to take lightly.”
The venue’s legal team eventually offered to place two additional managers on the premises at all times to ensure compliance, a proposal that the council took into consideration as they finalised the new conditions. As it stands, the venue remains under strict observation to ensure that the “culture of non-compliance” reported by the police is brought to an end.
