Raid on former music venue the George Robey sees six people arrested

Squatters were evicted from a famous Finsbury Park music pub in a police swoop.

The joint operation with Islington Council resulted in six arrests as officers and police raided the George Robey, in Seven Sisters Road, at about 11am on April 10.

During its heyday as a punk venue in the 1980s, the boozer saw the likes of Bad Manners, Desmond Dekker, Carter USM, and They Might Be Giants perform – and was popular with punters for the neighbouring Rainbow Theatre.

Cllr Paul Convery, Islington Council executive member for community safety, said: “We have been desperately trying to get something done about the pub for a long time.

“We’ve tried compulsory purchase orders and really pushed hard.

“We had complaints about these squatters being a nuisance for people in the area.

“Given that Finsbury Park is on the up and up, it seems unbelievable to me no one can make a real successful commercial go of the place.

“I used to go there myself when it was a famous music venue.

“But Finsbury Park is still a bustling transport hub, and it’s shocking no one will do anything with it.

“It seems the owner is happy to sit there and watch the value of his property rise every year without doing anything with it.

“I wish we had more powers to do something.”

Following the raid, Adam Kielich, 28, Melrose Place, Barnet, and Jacek Slusarczyk, 42 no fixed abode, were charged with using electricity without authority.

Both are set to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on April 24.

A 25-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were given a caution for the same offence and a 48-year-old man was bailed.

Another 27-year-old man was arrested for failing to attend court on an unrelated matter.