Notorious Streatham Hill night spot Mint has opening hours reduced

Geoffrey Ridgeon, owner of Mint, in Streatham High Road, said he hoped the changes to its licence, ordered last Thursday by Lambeth Council at the request of the police, would remove its “tiny number of bad clientele”.

Police stepped in after being called to a number of serious incidents linked to the venue, including a gang robbing people inside and clubbers being attacked with bottles.

A woman had her cheek slashed with a penknife on July 28 after a fight broke out in the female toilets.

A member of staff was kicked and beaten outside the bar in June because of a fight with a customer over a cigarette.

Police incident reports supplied to the licensing meeting last week also said police had been called to reports firearms were in the venue and drugs were freely sold.

They said known gang-members and drug dealers frequented the venue.

As a result of police concerns, the council’s licensing committee reduced its opening hours from 3am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays and to midnight from 1am during the rest of the week.

Some 68 residents had written to the council to support the licence review, including Streatham MP Chuka Umunna, who lives nearby.

Their concerns were primarily linked to antisocial behaviour, late-night noise from customers or other persons, associated with the premises, traffic issues and allegations of the supply and use of drugs.

Mr Ridgeon said he believed the change would benefit the venue, and he had volunteered to reduce the opening hours and take other measures.

He said: “We have tried to get rid of the 0.1 per cent of people who are troublemakers. We don’t want them ruining what is a fantastic venue in Streatham with a great crowd.”

He said the bar would be introducing a membership system to control entry, adding, while he accepted there had been some incidents at the venue allegations of guns and drugs had never been proved.

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