Met Police forced to pay £30k in costs after licensing furore

The force had lodged eight grounds of appeal after Sutton Council’s licensing committee decided in June 2013 it would not revoke the licence of Wonderland nightclub in Sutton.

Police officers had claimed that the venue sold drinks at lower prices and served them quickly; and served drunken customers and then ejected them “uncaringly”, but a report from the licensing sub-committee said: “No part of that assertion was substantiated either by way of CCTV or credible oral evidence.”

The police withdrew the appeal earlier this year, after claiming there had been “dramatic improvements” in the way the club was run
following the licence review.

However, following a hearing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court earlier this month district judge Karen Hammond ordered the force to pay legal costs of £29,086.14 to Poppleston Allen, which handled the case on behalf of the nightclub.

'No evidence'​

Hammond said there was “no evidence” to suggest the operation of the club changed from the time the appeal was lodged to the time it was abandoned.

In a report following the costs hearing, she added that she “agrees” with Poppleston Allen’s argument that the police’s alleged reason for abandoning the appeal is the “shield behind which the police now hide”, in an attempt to persuade the court an award of costs against them would be unreasonable.

She also said she agrees with the description of proceedings as “hotly contested, bad-tempered and fractious”.

“That analysis leads further weight to my decision that in the context of this costs application, the police have not satisfied me that they have acted reasonably and properly,” she stated.

The Metropolitan Police said it was “disappointed” with the decision. A spokesman added: “We maintain that police acted in good faith throughout both the review and appeal proceedings and believe our position was supported with appropriate evidence.”