Bow Street Magistrates' Court to become a £20m hotel
The historic Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London is to be transformed into a 99-bedroom boutique hotel.
Westminster City Council has granted planning permission for the development of a £20m hotel within the Grade II listed property near Covent Garden, which has seen the likes of the Kray twins, Oscar Wilde and Dr Crippen standing in its witness box.
More recently, Jeffrey Archer, singer Pete Doherty and notorious preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri also appeared there.
It is expected to feature a restaurant in the original court room and a police museum. Four bedrooms will be created from 10 of the existing police cells.
Cllr Robert Davis, Westminster City Council cabinet deputy leader, said the development will "return a hugely historic building back to public use and provide the West End with another high quality hotel".
The magistrates court closed in 2006 after being in use for 267 years.