Gym owner clashes with 30 police after repeatedly refusing to close for lockdown

Andreas Michli, owner of Zone Gym in Wood Green, has vowed to keep his establishment open despite new Covid-19 restrictions

A gym owner has been raided by police in London after refusing to shut its doors for England’s second lockdown (file photo of Met Police officers) (PA)

More than 30 police swooped on a London gym after the owner refused to close his doors for England’s second national lockdown.

Andreas Michli, owner of Zone Gym in Wood Green, has vowed to keep his establishment open despite new Covid-19 restrictions meaning non-essential businesses are shut until December 2.

More than 30 officers attended the premises at 6pm on Tuesday and then two van loads of PCs arrived at 8.30am yesterday morning, as reported by The Daily Mail.

During the raid on the gym, users were turned away with one person shouting at police that they were behaving “like Nazis".

Despite risking a hefty £10,000 fine for not complying with the latest lockdown rules, Mr Michli reopened his gym shortly after police left.

In a video posted on Facebook, he said: "We are not closing! 'We are staying open because it's the right thing to do and we need the message to get out there to the public.

"I am flabbergasted gyms are being forced to close. Gyms have some of the lowest infection rates of business sectors.

"The police have asked us to close but we are going to do right by our members even if the legislation says different. We are keeping people healthy.

"The police came first last night at about 6pm when there were 30 people inside.

"Then they returned again at around 8.30am when about seven people were already inside.

"This is not about the police, and we understand they have a job to do.

"It's about people at the very top of government making the wrong decisions.

“Closing gyms is the worst decision I've encountered in my life.”

He added that gyms "improve your immune system" and “the benefits of keeping gyms open completely outweighs any reasons that exist to close them”.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: "Police have attended Zone Gym in Coburg Road, N22, on a number of occasions in the past week to support council officers who are engaging with the business owners in relation to the enforcement of Covid regulations."