The story so far: independent music, nightlife and arts venue Passing Clouds found out earlier this year that their building had been sold to a property development company. In June, the developers locked Passing Clouds out of their home – so the venue and a crowd of local supporters broke back in and carried on. The battle continued until last week, when PC’s owner Eleanor Wilson was taken to court by her new landlords – after they’d previously offered her a new 15-year lease. Today we heard the unhappy ending: Passing Clouds has been evicted.

According to local activists who have been fighting a passionate campaign to save the venue, around 50 bailiffs turned up last night and took control of the building. As you can see from the picture above, they’ve installed metal shutters over all the doors and windows to stop any further reoccupations. Venue staff are considering what to do, including possibly holding tonight’s scheduled Lyrically Challenged event in the street outside.

There’s still time for a twist in this tale: Wilson is reportedly considering a High Court challenge to the eviction ruling. Her supporters have also called for Sadiq Khan to step in and make good on his manifesto pledge to protect London’s nightlife. One thing is certain: unlike the many independent venues quietly snuffed out over the last few years, Passing Clouds won’t be going down without a fight.

Read more about Passing Clouds’ battle to survive.

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