Brick Lane's Vibe bar shuts down over licensing rules row

A Brick Lane bar which spearheaded the transformation of the area is to close after the owners claimed strict licensing laws have turned clubs into “prisons with airport-style security”.

For the past 20 years Vibe Bar, at the Old Truman Brewery, has been at the heart of the area’s change from “no-go zone” to one of London’s most popular tourist spots.

But the bar’s owner Alan Miller, 44, claimed “petty minded” licensing rules in Tower Hamlets borough had turned turned Brick Lane “into a quieter place”.

He said compulsory security measures including ID scans, large security teams and extensive CCTV networks had driven up costs. He also said Tower Hamlets council had clamped down on one-off licence extensions for special events, causing a 30 per cent drop-off in business last year. Mr Miller, whose bar will close on November 11, said: “You go to these venues and there is airport-style security — it’s almost like the council expects you to run a prison. ”

In November the council imposed a “saturation zone” to cut down on anti-social behaviour in the area. A spokeswoman said planning and licensing regulations had not changed and that it was a “strong supporter” of Brick Lane.