The Met says it wants a new operator to run the site after the death by crush

The Met Police have said they do not want the O2 Academy Brixton to close permanently after a smash which claimed two lives.

The venue’s license was suspended last December after the deadly crush when fans without tickets tried to force their way into an Asake concert.

Academy Music Group (AMG) said it had improved its security measures at a meeting where the company appealed for the license to be reinstated.

But the Met said it did not trust AMG at a meeting to review the decision to suspend the venue’s license at Lambeth Town Hall on Tuesday.

Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the Met, said: “The police do not want to close the Academy … they believe AMG Ltd should not be the licensee.”

He added: “I’m not allowed to go into the reasons any further.”

The force asked Lambeth Council to remove the venue’s license after the smash claimed the lives of security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33.

A 21-year-old woman remains in hospital in a critical condition, following the injuries sustained in the incident.

The comments were made during the second day of a council licensing subcommittee hearing – most of which took place in private.

Closing the case for AMG, Philip Kolvin KC said the company had always had a “very close relationship with the police”.

On Monday, Mr Kolvin told the committee the venue had developed new safety measures in an effort to restore its licence, including stronger doors, a better queuing system and more secure ticketing.

AMG, which runs 18 music venues across the UK, including three in London, said changes to its operating policies had been developed by “leading professionals” to prevent a repeat of last year’s events.

The company, which has operated the venue for 20 years, has done “everything it can to look into what went wrong”, Mr Kolvin added.

Earlier in the hearing, representatives from the council’s licensing authority said they believed the venue would be able to reopen, subject to conditions.

The committee was due to begin deliberations on whether to grant a new license for the venue on Wednesday.