Mayor bemoans closure of London superclub Fabric, after drug-related deaths

London’s mayor threw his support behind DJs and ravers on Wednesday by criticising the closure of the city’s famed Fabric nightclub, after its licence was revoked following several drug-related deaths.

The local council permanently revoked Fabric’s licence after an initial suspension last month at the request of police, following the deaths of two teenagers from suspected drug overdoses at the nightspot in the borough of Islington.

Khan described Fabric as an “essential part of our cultural landscape” and expressed his disappointment that the club owners, local authorities and the police were unable to reach an agreement.

Fabric, renowned for its drum and bass, techno and house nights, built up a reputation to rival fellow British clubbing institution Ministry of Sound over the last decade and a half.

“The issues faced by Fabric point to a wider problem of how we protect London’s night-time economy, while ensuring it is safe and enjoyable for everyone,” he said in a statement.

A clubber at Fabric in his younger years, the mayor has promoted London as a 24-hour city underpinned by the opening last month of all-night metro lines.

Fabric has attracted many of the world’s top DJs and behind regular branded music releases, the nightclub claims six million people have stepped through its doors since its opening in a old meat-processing area of north London in 1999.

But in a late-night meeting on Tuesday the local council concluded that the club had a “culture of drug use” which staff were “incapable of controlling”.