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Clubbers have launched an online campaign to save Fabric nightclub as the venue faces closure over four drug-related deaths.

Dance music fans have called for the club's licence to be renewed as Islington Council threatens to close it down over suggestions that it has become unsafe.

Councillors are due to vote on whether to renew the venue's licence at a meeting tonight.

More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition to keep the Farringdon nightspot open, while more than 20,000 people have shown their support for it on a Facebook page.

Wil Benton, co-founder of chew.tv who started the petition on Change.org, said closing Fabric, which has been crowned best club in the world twice by DJ Magazine, would have "serious cultural and societal implications".

He wrote online: "[Fabric] is one of the few clubs left in London and it's a brand that’s recognised and renowned the world over for its forward thinking booking policy, lineups and love of sound.

"To lose Fabric has serious cultural and societal implications - not to mention economic (given it attracts a global clientele) - for both London and the UK."

Melissa Freivogel, a former employee at the club, said revoking its licence would be "an act of gross stupidity by the police and council".

She wrote: "I'm a former employee of Fabric and know quite well how much the staff there care about music and their customers.

"Revoking Fabric's licence would be an act of gross stupidity by the police and council. It's an extremely safe club, with friendly dedicated security and very professional staff.

"Drugs are everywhere and closing Fabric would just force more consumption underground and into ever more unsafe environments with no security or medical teams.

"Fabric is an important part of Britains cultural heritage and must be kept open."

David Kennedy, a DJ from Poole who has regularly performed at the club, said: "It is one of the best organised clubs I have played at in the world, with some of the friendliest staff, who are all completely proactive in making sure people coming to the club are having a good time, and partying safely.

"Having been open since 1999, and with one of the best soundsystems of any nightclub in the world, it would be a travesty if Fabric had its licence removed."

In a statement tonight, a spokesman for Fabric said it had "always operated a zero tolerance drugs policy" and would "continue to be open and honest in assisting the police with any incident investigations."

He added that the club employed two trained medics to assist with any medical emergencies.

He said: "We care deeply about the welfare of our patrons. Fabric has always operated a zero tolerance drugs policy and we’re proud to continue to be open and honest in assisting the police with any incident investigations.

"We employ two trained medics who are on site for the duration of all of our club events and, as a venue, we provide free water and non-judgmental advice from bar staff, stewards and security teams. The incidents referred to in the Met Police’s report are truly tragic events; incidents that we assure you our team reacted to in the quickest possible and most efficient manner - our medical staff have since been commended by senior coroners on their “impressive” and “quite extraordinary” level of expertise."

He continued: "As a team we've all felt the shock and horror that a death on our premises can cause.

"We don’t take it lightly; in fact, we’re constantly adapting our protocols in direct reaction to them in the hope that these are changes we can make to our operational policy that will prevent incidents like this from happening in the future.

"Our hearts and thoughts really do go out to all the friends and families of those involved."