Cocktail Club: Bar's licence reviewed over underage drinking

The Cocktail Club used to be known as London Cocktail Club

The licence of a bar is under review amid accusations of underage drinking and claims of sexual harassment.

Police submitted a licence review for the Cocktail Club in Cabot Square in Canary Wharf, east London.

They believe staff "spotted clearly underage girls who were drunk and vulnerable" and did not offer support during the December 2022 incident.

The managing director of the company that owns the bar said the incident left her "shocked and disappointed".

Dawn Donohoe, of the London Cocktail Club Ltd, added: "I have two daughters myself and am mortified the incident occurred in one of our premises.

"This incident is the first incident of this nature in our 17 venues. I am fully aware of and recognise the seriousness of this incident and do not want this to ever happen again."

According to PC Michael Rice, of Central East Police Licensing, police were called to a separate bar in Shoreditch after reports of a group of girls who had their drink spiked and then collapsed.

Police later found out the group had been drinking at the Cocktail Club for about six hours and were so drunk and intoxicated, one girl vomited inside the bar.

'Drunken fights'

PC Rice said: "At no point were any of the group asked to show any ID despite purchasing drinks at the bar a number of times.

"While investigating how this was able to happen at a licensed premises we have discovered that drunken fights and disorder have taken place at the Cocktail Club." He said that "most seriously" a number of sexual harassment allegations had been made by female customers.

He added: "We also believe that other young people under 18 have been let into the venue and served alcohol."

The venue's licence review will be discussed at a Tower Hamlets Council licensing sub-committee on 11 April.

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