Hackney pub the Dolphin loses its late licence

The Dolphin pub in London's Hackney has lost its late licence after a Town Hall hearing on the matter yesterday. It also had its capacity allowance docked by 150 people to 570.

Hackney Council yesterday stripped the much-loved Mare Street pub of its 4am late licence after local police applied for a review following high levels of crime and noise. Police figures show 160 crimes were reported at the venue between 2010 and 2013, including a rising number of thefts, and one incident involving a firearm.

Pub manager Kay Underdown had previously told local paper the Hackney Citizen that a revocation of the late licence would be "disastrous" and "the end of the Dolphin". An online petition campaigning to "save" the pub has garnered almost 3,000 signatures.

Despite this support, yesterday's decision means The Dolphin is set to lose its licence in three weeks' time, meaning it will have to close at 1.30am rather than 4am. The pub will reportedly continue to operate under the late licence for the time being, especially if Underdown decides to appeal.

The manager had reportedly made it clear to police that measures were being put in place to help reduce crime, including installing CCTV and increasing the number of door staff.

Publicly announcing the decision via Twitter, on which the pub's Tweets by dolphinhackney has over 2,000 followers, Underdown simply added: "Sad news".

The venue, which celebrated its 10th birthday in March this year, is well-known as a late-night hub, with a reputation for "friendly" rowdiness, "shots", and a cheesy music playlist.

It even has a Tweets by The_Dolphin_Pub

A pub of some description has reportedly been on the site for more than 150 years.

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