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A man has been arrested on suspicion of rape as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Groucho club in central London.
The Metropolitan Police said a 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday night at an address in Hertfordshire and remained in custody.
The investigation which forced the closure of the Groucho Club earlier this week relates to reports that a woman was raped at the venue in Dean Street, Soho, on November 13. The woman is being supported by specialist officers, the Met said.
Earlier this week, a Westminster Council licensing hearing ruled that the Groucho Club’s license should be suspended for up to 28 days pending a full hearing.
The original hearing was held following concerns from the Met that the venue had breached licensing conditions and was the scene of a serious crime.
The Met said there was no suggestion at this stage that staff at the establishment were involved in the rape.
The investigation into the rape report at the scene is being led by detectives from the Met’s public protection team.
The closure of the club, which costs up to £1,500 a year to join and whose members include many celebrities, was announced at the start of the lucrative festive season.
Last Tuesday, Groucho Club chief executive Ellie Jafari, the first woman appointed to the role, wrote to members apologizing for the temporary closure, saying he took the request to review his license “very seriously”.
“The club’s license has been suspended by agreement with Westminster City Council and we have taken the decision to close the club pending a full hearing before Christmas,” Jafari said.
A council spokesman said: “Following a request from the Metropolitan Police and with the consent of the operator, the council’s licensing sub-committee has decided to suspend the Groucho Club’s license with immediate effect on the grounds that the premises are associated with serious crime.
“This decision follows reports that a serious crime may have been committed at the premises in circumstances relating to a breach of the premises’ licensing conditions. The allegations are the subject of an ongoing police investigation and we are unable to comment further at this stage.
Club Groucho was founded in 1985. by a group of publishers and agents including Carmen Khalil, Ed Victor, Liz Calder and Michael Sissons, and has been frequented by successive generations of artists, writers and musicians. It took its name from Groucho Marx, who said he did not want to belong to a club that would accept him as a member.
The Groucho Club often enjoys a reputation for creativity and hedonism, encapsulated in its nickname as “the home for hell-raisers.” Since its launch it has welcomed female members unlike the traditional gentlemen’s clubs of the West End.
Its new owners, Artfarm, run by Manuela and Ivan Wirth, want to attract a younger clientele.
Famous members include musician and actor Harry Styles, 30, actors Cara Delevingne, 32, and Rachel Weisz, 54, broadcaster Nick Grimshaw, 40, musicians Jarvis Cocker, 61, Lily Allen, 39, Noel Gallagher, 57 and the writer, actor and comedian Stephen Fry, 67. Fry is said to have instigated the ban on mobile phones in the bar and the carrying of vests.
Damien Hirst, 59, celebrated winning the Turner Prize in 1992 by putting his £20,000 winnings behind bars.
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