Brixton Academy security guards regularly 'took bribes'

Security guards astatine Brixton Academy regularly took bribes to fto radical successful without tickets, a whistleblower has told the BBC.

Two radical mislaid their lives astatine the southbound London venue successful December, successful a crush extracurricular a gig by Afro-pop prima Asake.

A information defender has told File connected Four that immoderate members of his squad would each let "a mates of hundred" other radical into venues successful speech for money. Their employer, AP Security, has declined to comment.

"There were radical taking money... Some unit made £1,000 cash," said defender Rohan, not his existent name, who is employed by AP Security.

"Our institution knew what was going connected and they knew the radical who were doing it," helium told the BBC, "and they did thing astir it."

Rohan was moving connected the beforehand doors erstwhile the fatal crush happened connected 15 December.

He told the BBC determination was not capable information connected work that evening astatine the O2 Brixton Academy - with lone 110 members of the information squad there, erstwhile determination should person been 190.

"It was similar being successful a car clang that's been truly atrocious - being crashed connected and stamped on."

Mother of two, Rebecca Ikumelo, 33 - and information defender Gaby Hutchinson, 23 - were some caught up successful the crush and aboriginal died successful hospital.

Rohan said helium witnessed what happened to some of them.

Separately, helium reflected connected however immoderate guards were letting radical successful without tickets.

"When you fto a fewer radical in, they would substance their friends, and they'll substance their friends.

"And the bouncers started being greedy, and it got retired of hand. And radical wanted to travel successful anyway, without a ticket.

"You tin bid idiosyncratic to the max, but erstwhile that happens successful beforehand of you, you really stop… you freeze."

There is nary proposition that Gaby Hutchinson was progressive successful taking bribes oregon letting radical successful without tickets.

Explaining however bribes were paid, Rohan said idiosyncratic wanting to get into a gig would talk to information unit by the barriers controlling the queue of radical waiting to get in.

"They [some AP Security staff] volition archer you a fewer things, [then you] spell circular the corner... springiness them a batch of currency and they volition locomotion you consecutive successful the beforehand door."

Rohan said taking bribes did not conscionable hap astatine the Brixton Academy - but a fig of venues, stadiums and festivals astatine which helium had worked. The magnitude of wealth handed implicit depended connected who was playing.

Rohan says astatine Brixton, his leader AP Security knew what was happening - due to the fact that helium had been successful meetings wherever radical had complained astir 2 peculiar individuals.

The taxable of bribes had besides been brought up successful briefings and successful conversations betwixt managers and bouncers - but no-one had been reprimanded.

The BBC has besides spoken to idiosyncratic who got into a gig with a fake summons astatine the Brixton Academy the week earlier the crush.

His relationship appears to corroborate Rohan's statement of determination being a coordinated process of paying bribes and gaining entree to shows.

Andre said he, his woman and 2 friends, travelled to Brixton to effort to bargain morganatic tickets extracurricular the venue to ticker the DJ Fred Again - and that helium regrets what subsequently happened.

He said helium asked a doorman wherever helium would beryllium capable to bargain a summons and was told to spell crossed the thoroughfare to a currency machine, wherever helium would nonstop idiosyncratic to merchantability them a ticket.

After immoderate haggling, and contempt not trusting the tout, Andre handed implicit currency and was sent tickets connected WhatsApp.

Andre said his radical were past told to spell to a circumstantial information defender extracurricular the venue.

"As soon arsenic we got there, our tickets got scanned really, really, accelerated I would accidental fake scanned and the idiosyncratic conscionable fto america in.

"The idiosyncratic had the instrumentality that scans tickets and conscionable utilized the flashlight connected it, not the laser scan.

"It felt truly organised and it felt that we weren't the lone radical that got successful that way."

Andre said it was wide others were doing the aforesaid arsenic them - and that the venue was perfectly packed.

"There was perfectly nary abstraction whatsoever to determination around."

Andre told the BBC helium would person ne'er person paid immoderate wealth had helium known the tickets were duplicates.

In a caller connection the institution said: "O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the events which occurred connected the nighttime of 15 December 2022 and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who died during the tragic incidental and its genuine concerns for anyone affected by it."

AMG besides said it was committed to knowing what happened and was "providing afloat practice to the police".

The time aft the crush successful December, AP Security's manager of operational management, James Hooker, said: "We are moving with our lawyers, the operators of the premises and the authorities to supply each accusation that is needed.

"We volition proceed to enactment with each parties and are incapable to supply immoderate accusation astatine this clip portion those inquiries are completed."

Additional reporting by Melanie Stewart-Smith