London's FOLD criticised for delayed response following death of 23-year-old man

FOLD has been criticised for its delayed response to a 23-year-old man falling ill and fatally overdosing after attending the East London nightclub last year.

According to The Standard, Haaris Bhatti "swallowed drugs" before entering the nightclub at 1:20AM on July 19, 2025, and continued to take a substance throughout the night.

Staff reported discovering the "seriously unwell" clubgoer at around 4:45AM, before taking him to the venue's welfare room in a wheelchair, where a first aider described him suffering symptoms including being "extremely hot", " a dangerously fast heart rate", "sky-high blood pressure", and "psychosis". 

Despite this, an ambulance was not called to the venue until 5:57AM, which, according to a report from Senior Coroner Mary Hassel, "decreased Bhatti's chance of survival". Staff later told an inquest that they should have contacted emergency services immediately upon discovering the 23-year-old unwell.

"Staff were concerned for Haaris, but this concern did not translate into effective management of his medical emergency," the coroner wrote in a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report issued to FOLD's owner and manager.

Hassel added that the delayed response "did not seem to me to be simply about any individual member of staff, but rather it reflected the club's training and culture as a whole".

Following the inquest, FOLD was ordered to respond within 56 days with a report on what action it will be taking to prevent future deaths.

"Throughout this deeply sad process, FOLD has acted with the utmost care and sensitivity at all times, engaging responsibly and professionally at every opportunity," a spokesperson for FOLD said in a statement shared with Mixmag.

"In addition to new procedures that have already been implemented, our full response to the report’s findings will be detailed in due course," the statement continues.  

"Out of continued respect for the family, we will be making no further comment at this stage. The safety and wellbeing of our guests, staff and wider community has always been - and remains - our highest priority." 

If you or any of your friends begin to feel unwell in a nightclub please alert staff or dial 999 immediately. For more information on drug safety and pill alerts head to The Loop.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X