Iconic LGBT+ nightclub left in limbo amid AI-generated complaints
Heaven - one of the capital's most famous queer venues - was put at risk after a man submitted fake comments to Westminster Council, says its owner
The owner of one of London's most iconic queer venues has been describing the 'damage' that's been done after a man was sentenced for submitting fake comments in a bid to close it down.
Aldo d'Aponte, 47, from Westminster, admitted to making false statements during a review of Heaven Nightclub's premises licence.
Heaven - which has been a part of the capital's nightlife scene since 1979 - faced temporary closure back in November 2024 at the request of the Met Police following a rape allegation being made against one of its security guards.
The club reopened about a month later after implementing additional restrictions, and the bouncer involved in the case was later found not guilty of rape and attempted rape.
'Heaven has been there for 46 years, and he hasn't'
Catching up with Hits Radio Pride, Jeremy Joseph revealed the whole thing has left him feeling 'sore', as he wasn't given the chance to have his side of the story be heard following the defendant's guilty plea in court.
He said: "There are two victims in this: Westminster Council, and us, at the Heaven nightclub.
"This is something which has been going on for months at Heaven.
"Every resident has the right to put in statements against a club if it affects them, of course, but these claims have to be justified - but clearly, the complaints against us about the impact of sound were not real, and that was proven by the council's own sound tests.
"But Heaven's been constantly targeted here - and it feels like he managed to target us again at the plea hearing, when he pleaded guilty, which meant we couldn't have our say.
"There's so much more to running a venue than you might think, and he's completely tried to destroy us.
"Heaven has been there for 46 years, and he hasn't.
"And what could have very easily happened, had we not found out that these were fake complaints, is that we could have conditions put on our licence which would have made our venue unsustainable to run.
"Ultimately, Heaven could have closed down.
"And I fear that the integrity of any licencing hearing is at risk now, amid the rise of artificial intelligence.
"How do you know objections or letters of support are real?
"That's going to be the real battle for councils here in London - and up and down the country.
"We took this case the whole way - not to just get justice for Heaven - to campaign for justice of the integrity of future hearings."
'This conviction reinforces the importance of integrity in the licencing process'
Aldo d'Aponte was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16th April.
Additionally, d'Aponte was ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £26 victim surcharge.
In their statement, the Met Police said: "A man has been convicted after falsifying emails in an attempt to influence a licensing review of a London nightclub.
"Attanasio d'Aponte, 47 (03.10.78), of Craven Street, Westminster, was charged on 21 November 2025 with knowingly or recklessly making a false statement in connection with the review of Heaven Nightclub’s premises licence.
"He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 16 April, where he pleaded guilty and received a 12‑month conditional discharge, along with an order to pay costs and a victim surcharge.
"The conviction follows a Metropolitan Police investigation which found that d’Aponte falsely attributed the names of individuals as the purported authors of emails submitted as part of the review."
Sergeant Ben Chadwick, from the Met's Licensing Team, said: “This conviction reinforces the importance of integrity in the licensing process.
"Licensed venues play a vital role in London’s night-time economy and we remain committed to working collaboratively with responsible operators, local authorities and the community to ensure a safe, fair, and thriving night-time environment.”
'The council worked closely with the police'
A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: “The council’s number one priority is the safety of residents and visitors.
"In this case, we were responding to a request from the Metropolitan Police to review the venue’s licence following an allegation of a serious crime.
“The Licensing sub-committee, as with all committees, takes decisions based on all the evidence presented to them.
"The committee made clear that it provided no weight to this petition in reaching its conclusions, and therefore these false representations had no adverse impact on the committee’s decision.
“The council worked closely with the police and provided evidence for the investigation which led to a successful prosecution.”