Two west London wedding venues are forced to shut down for three months after holding illegal parties during lockdown
Two neighbouring wedding venues which hosted parties during lockdown have been ordered to close for three months after breaching Covid regulations.
The Milan Palace and Tudor Rose in Southall, west London, had their license suspended following a hearing in front of the Ealing License Committee.
In September and October, both venues defied restrictions aimed to keep people safe and limit the spread of the virus by continuing to put on events.
The Milan Palace was also fined £7,000 for three breaches which took place between Friday, September 25 and Sunday, October 18
An event at the Tudor Rose drew an attendance of as many as 150 people earlier this year
In addition to the closure, the Tudor Rose was handed a £1,000 fine for one breach and the Milan Palace was handed an approximate fine of £7,000 for three breaches which took place between Friday, September 25 and Sunday, October 18.
An event at the former drew an attendance of as many as 150 people, which police were filmed breaking up last month, while there were more than 60 people at ceremonies hosted at the latter during separate dates.
The venues were brought before the committee following joint action by Ealing Council and the Met Police.
Chief Superintendent Pete Gardner, West Area policing commander, said: 'The brazen actions of these neighbouring venues were completely selfish - they deserve to have their license temporarily stripped for putting their community at risk.
'Likewise, their attempts to ignore the rules shows utter contempt for the thousands of legitimate businesses across London who have made excellent efforts to keep their business COVID secure.
'This action alongside Ealing Council should be seen as a warning to those other businesses who flout the rules. Repeated breaches will result in escalated enforcement, which could potentially see licenses being revoked.'
Police Sergeant Guy Rooney, said: 'I visited both these venues on multiple occasions to warn them that their actions were in breach of the regulations and could result in enforcement.
'However, they took blatant steps to ignore my instructions, continuing to hold weddings and other ceremonies. It is deeply frustrating to see such a total disregard for the rules, which the vast majority of businesses and Londoners are following to help keep this deadly virus at bay.'
Bodycam footage showed police officers breaking up a wedding at the Tudor Rose in Southall
Police chiefs described hosting such events in the current climate as 'completely selfish'
Ealing Council's regulatory services have been working in conjunction with the police around COVID-19 compliance and have given clear instruction to these and other premises about safely operating within the COVID-19 requirements.
Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, Ealing Council cabinet member for community safety and inclusion, added: 'Enforcement action will be taken against businesses that do not follow the restrictions placed on them.
'We all have a responsibility for ensuring we follow the COVID-19 restrictions and work together to ensure the safety of ourselves and others. We will not hesitate in taking appropriate action against those that flout the regulations.'