Large blade used in murder at Mile End

Reports are circulating which allege:

1. A large blade was brought into the Boheme Nightclub - through the "security systems" and was used to stab Kelvin Easton in the chest inside the nightclub which is located on the corner of Mile End Road and Burdett Road
2. the CCTV footage of the incident has been retrieved

If true, this suggests that the statement issued by Benn Wilson (the owner) and Dante Williams (the manager) after the incident on 27th March was incorrect on two counts.  He was NOT stabbed by a champagne bottle as they suggested (ie security was breached) and the hard drive CCTV footage was not stolen.  Other sources have however suggested that the CCTV footage is still missing.

Have your Say

MERA is submitting a detailed representation to the Licensing Authority in connection with the Full and formal Review of the licence.  We urge local residents to also have your say.  See Review of Night Club Licence - what happens next

The current draft of our summary can be found below

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In summary, MERA considers that:

• This venue is a wholly inappropriate location for a nightclub in a densely populated residential area
• Mile End is an area of average level of crime compared to London as a whole.  Residents’ experience has been that
• Quality of life improves significantly when the club is closed
• When the club is open, violence, public disorder, anti-social behaviour and nuisance increase and the level of amenity decreases.  This has contributed to higher than average levels of ASB in this area
• The business model identified by the licensee in the application for a licence has not been followed.
• Club activities have reverted to those which have generated repeated problems of violence, public disorder and nuisance under different licensees in the past
• The licensee has not complied with all the terms of the licence

A killing has now occurred inside the club and this concerns MERA and local residents greatly.  We consider that this is due to

• The licence being granted by the District Judge on appeal after having been refused by the Tower Hamlets Licensing Authority
• The nature of the events being run following the failure of the business model proposed for the licence
• The lack of proper management and supervision of security arrangements and
• Lack of compliance with the licence conditions.

We understand West End Clubs BAN the sort of event that this club has been running because of the level of violence and disorder they generate.  

We are absolutely unequivocal that these sort events have no place in Mile End and MERA will be asking the Licensing Authority to REVOKE the licence.

Over the last year, representatives of Mile End Residents Association have attended the regular monthly monitoring meetings with the licensee Benn Wilson.  Local residents have given up their time to try and address the issues that have predictably arisen since the Club reopened a year ago.

We recognise that the Licensee has listened to residents and has made an effort to address the concerns of residents.  However the club continues to cause problems and local residents want it closed.

• Noise venting from the club and affecting Wentworth Mews and accommodation nearby has now been reduced but it took a long time and it has not been completely eliminated as a problem.  It will become a much bigger problem again as the construction of new accommodation immediately to the rear of the club is completed.
• Management appear to be unable to control the activities of DJs who switch off the noise limiter.
• The valet parking solutions have been ignored by clubbers and have not worked - as predicted by local residents. There have been numerous problems with the noise, nuisance and public order issues associated with clubbers continuing to park in local streets and generate noise and general anti-social behaviour
• Such problems have been particularly marked when the club has been hired out for private events
• We have not been advised of private events that have proved to be problematic.  Nor were we advised about the recent reopening of the club on a Saturday

As predicted by residents at the application stage, the business model proposed for the club has not worked.  There is no way the Broke Club was attractive or commercially viable opening as a DJ hosted music venue targeted at Canary Wharf workers on one or two nights a week.

The club closed after Christmas.

It recently reopened under a new name (Boheme) and new management.

However to us, it’s as if the Club E3 (and all its previous incarnations), has returned to Mile End with all the associated challenges that this has for management and security control and the potential implications in terms of serious crime, disorder, public safety and nuisance…..

..…and then somebody was killed in the club.

E3 Reunion: Facebook entry for the event on the night of the murder

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What's the deadline for representations?

Time is very short to make repesentations - ALL representations must be received by midnight on Friday 8th April 2011.  


We have emails from the Licensing Services Manager at LBTH that all personal information from any submission to the the committee will be redacted (ie deleted). So no personal information from comments will be in the public domain. LBTH say this policy has been in place for just over eight months.


If you do wish to make your views known, whether to support the club or to oppose it, you can:

• write a letter addressed to The Licensing Department, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Licensing Section, Mulberry Place (AH) PO Box 55739, London E14 1BY.    
• email your views to licensing@towerhamlets.gov.uk BY MIDNIGHT ON 8TH APRIL

Contact Jacqueline Randall, the Licensing Manager or Tower Hamlets Council if you have any queries. You can send them to either:

• licensing@towerhamlets.gov.uk or 
• jacqueline.randall@towerhamlets.gov.uk 
• or you can call 020 7364 5008

Any information provided which does not address one of the LICENSING OBJECTIVES will be DISREGARDED at the Hearing.  The licensing objectives

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

If you have been affected by the club we would urge you to make your views known in writing to the Tower Hamlets Licensing Committee.

• Our experience to date suggests that personal letters count a lot on such matters.  
• If you need help to write a letter please contact us on info@mile-end-residents.co.uk or the MERA Hotline No (talk or text) 07932 626340

Information about the Murder

Anyone with information that may assist the Police in finding out how this happened should call:

• the incident room on 020 8345 4142; 
• if you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

See Police Appeal for witnesses to murder in Mile End

The Voice Online quotes Detective Chief Inspector Charles King, the lead investigator as saying

“We know some people don’t have a lot of faith in the police, but if no one will speak to us, we can’t do our jobs properly. If you saw something and choose to keep it to yourself, you will have to live with the knowledge that his killer is still walking around. Next time, it could be your friend or your boyfriend.”

Investigators have a full list of names of all the people who were scanned as they entered the club, credit card receipts from drinks purchased at the bar, guestlist names, and CCTV footage from inside and outside the venue.

Please note:

1. Comments are closed on this post.  Anybody wishing to comment should use the posts on the MERA website
2. No anonymous comments are published on this blog.
3. People who wish to remain anonymous and also offer information to the Police can call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Links:  MERA News Blog:

• Police Appeal for witnesses to murder in Mile End
• Review of Night Club Licence - what happens next
• Large blade used in murder at Mile End
• Police Appeal for Information continues
• Murder Club should NOT have been open!
• Previous posts about the nightclub 
• Broke / Boheme Nightclub Licence REVOKED!

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