London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Gym owner fined £67,000 for repeatedly refusing to close

Gym owner fined £67,000 for repeatedly refusing to close

A gym owner has been fined £67,000 after refusing to close his venue during lockdown and repeatedly reopening it, despite multiple attempts from police to stop him.

Andreas Michli was taken to court by Haringey Council after more than 30 coppers were deployed to stop people entering Zone Gym in Wood Green, north London.

He was fined and ordered to close temporarily for five days, when he could contest the full closure in court.

Council leader Joseph Ejiofor said: ‘We have consistently been clear in Haringey that we must all work together to contain the spread of the virus.

‘For our local businesses this is an extremely difficult time and we understand the challenges they are currently facing. However, the law is the law and it applies to everyone,

‘Staying as active as you can to look after your health and wellbeing is really important during this time. But it has to be done in the right way.

‘We have tried on numerous occasions to communicate with the owner of Zone Gym who unfortunately decided to remain open despite repeated warnings.


Michli said he knows police are just doing their jobs

‘As a result we were left with no choice but to issue fixed penalty notices and have obtained a closure notice.’

The council has requested Michli be made to pay the £7,300 in court costs and the £3,000 it cost to deploy officers, the Sun reported.

Haringey council applied for a civil order to prevent the bodybuilder from even entering his building.

If Michli disobeys the court order he could be charged with a criminal offence, jailed for up to three months and fined again.

When Boris Johnson announced that gyms would be forced to close under England’s second national lockdown, Michli told Facebook followers he would ignore the rules and keep his business open.


The gym owner says gyms keep people healthy


The Metropolitan Police were sent to the gym on Tuesday evening but Michli reopened it moments after they left, despite being threatened with a £10,000 and potential arrest.

He posted a video on Facebook saying: ‘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.’


He opened the gym after he was forced to close it


Michli opened the gym at 11am on Wednesday morning with police stopping people from entering again.

Haringey Council arrived an hour later and served Michli with legal papers saying they would force entry to make sure the venue was closed.

But the business-owner used a loophole in the order’s wording, allowing him to enter in car a few moments later.

He then opened the gates and shouted ‘I am inviting you in’ to protesters and gym-goers. Police did not make arrests.

Michli said his members were ‘like family’ and need the gym for their physical and mental health.

He said: ‘I can’t bear to put them through the same struggle they went down in the first lockdown.

‘I’m doing the right thing. If I felt even a little bit unsure that I wasn’t doing the right thing, then I wouldn’t do it.

‘But I’m so sure, with all my heart, that I’m doing the right thing.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×