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A GYM owner who refused to close during the second national shutdown faces a fine of £ 67,000.
More than 30 police officers were dispatched to shut down Zone Gym after 34-year-old owner Andreas Michli continued to allow patrons to exercise.
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Michli promised to keep his business open despite the government’s Covid lockdown rules and the risk of arrest and fine.
The Haringey City Council, which has repeatedly issued fines against him, is now seeking a closure order through the courts that it intends to enforce.
Michli said he was delaying his decision on when to reopen the facility until the outcome of the court hearing next week.
In addition to the £ 67,000 fine he faces, the local authority is also seeking an additional £ 7,500 for court costs, he claimed.
“There were many reasons why I did not close,” he said.
“Actually, I couldn’t find a reason not to keep it open, other than that there was legislation in place.
“It felt like the right thing to do socially, morally and scientifically.”
Police officers entered the gym in Wood Green, north London, at 6pm on Wednesday to prevent clients from exercising while another group arrived at 8:30 am on Thursday.
Now the Haringey Council has gone to court in an attempt to close the gym.
“We have always been clear at Haringey that we must all work together to contain the spread of the virus,” said council leader Joseph Ejiofor.
“For our local businesses, this is an extremely difficult time and we understand the challenges they currently face.
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“Staying as active as possible to take care of your health and well-being is really important during this time. But you have to do it the right way.
“We have tried numerous times to contact the owner of Zone Gym, who sadly decided to stay open despite repeated warnings.
“As a result, we were left with no choice but to issue fixed fine notices and we got a notice of closure.
“We are now awaiting the outcome of a court hearing next Tuesday where the case will be heard to obtain a closing order that we intend to enforce.”
Michli reportedly had an exchange of outrage with officers when they arrived at the facility to prevent people from entering the parking lot.
Gym users who were unable to access yelled at the police.
One shouted: “You are behaving like Nazis. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
By 11 a.m., the gym shutters were closed and more than a dozen people were exercising in the gym.
Haringey Council enforcement officers arrived at lunchtime to deliver legal documents warning they would force entry into the facility Thursday in an effort to secure its closure.
A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “Police have attended Zone Gym on Coburg Road, N22, on several occasions over the past week to support council officers who are engaged with business owners in relation to the enforcement of the Covid regulations “.
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After the raid, Michli posted a video on her Facebook page where she told her followers that she was not closing her gym.
“We are not closing,” he said in a war cry.
“We are open because it is the right thing to do and we need the message to reach the public.
“I am amazed that gyms are being forced to close. Gyms have some of the lowest infection rates in the commercial sectors.
“The police have asked us to shut down, but we are going to do the right thing with our members, even if the law says otherwise. We are keeping people healthy.
“This is not about the police and we understand that they have a job to do.
“These are people at the top of government making the wrong decisions. Closing gyms is the worst decision I have ever made in my life.
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“The benefits of keeping gyms open completely outweigh any reason for closing them.
“You boost your immune system by going to the gym, which means there is no point in shutting it down.”
On the first day of the second lockdown, November 5, the police came out in force to close the gyms and send people home.
Police cracked down on gyms across the country that remained open.
A gym owner in Bedford was questioned by police after he defied lockdown rules by keeping Gainz Fitness and Strength open.
Alex Lowndes, 32, said he was willing to accept a possible £ 10,000 fine to keep his gym open.
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But officers stormed Gainz Fitness and Strength in Bedford, Cambs today, where they issued a ban notice ordering the closure.
Gyms and fitness clubs have been one of many non-essential businesses that were forced to close in the second national shutdown.
However, the number of reported cases from gyms after they were reopened was low.
In July, 22 million visits to gyms were reported and 78 cases of Covid-19 were tracked in these places.
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