A whistleblower claiming to have worked on the O2 Brixton Academy's security team has alleged that staff members would "regularly" accept bribes to allow people into the venue without a ticket, the BBC reports.
Speaking on File on 4, the guard – given an anonymous pseudonym of Rohan – suggested that the venue's contracted security firm, AP Security were aware of the practice but took no action to stop it.
“There were people taking money,” he told the BBC. “Some staff made 1,000 cash.
“Our company knew what was going on and they knew the people who were doing it,” he continued. “And they did nothing about it.
“They [some security guards] will tell you a few things, [then you] go round the corner… five them a lot of cash and they will walk you straight in the front door.”
The allegations come as Brixton Academy will remain shut with its licence suspended until at least April 16, as investigations continue into the deadly crowd crush at Afro-pop star Asake’s concert on December 15, 2022.
Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in the days following the crowd crush outside the venue’s entrance and foyer area.
Rohan claimed that AP Security were aware of the practice, because he had been present in meetings where complaints of bribery had been raised about two people in particular, as well as other interactions between bouncers and managers.
He continued to say that while the practice of accepting bribes happened at Brixton, it was also common practice at other...
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