Some London locals tipped off the police complaining about a birthday party amid a lockdown in the UK
Cops in London raided a Zoom birthday lockdown party of a rich socialite after some passers-by mistook cardboard cutouts as real people
Millionaire Steve Varsano had organised a zoom party at his Mayfair offices in London to celebrate his girlfriend Lisa Tchenguiz’s 56th birthday.
The 64-year-old had dozens of Lisa’s pals join in to celebrate over video phone.
As part of the festivities he ordered 70 cardboard cut-outs of friends and placed them around the room while the real guests took part virtually.
But six people called the Met Police to report the party, including one who is thought to have spotted things being set up from the top floor of a London bus.
Mr Varsano said, the officers refused to believe the party was online-only and searched the building for any guests who may have been hiding.
‘They went to all the rooms in my offices like I was some criminal,’ he said.
‘Someone must have called and said I was having a party because they saw trucks delivering lights and balloons and images.
They quickly understood that it was not attended in real life by people but by 70 cardboard cut-outs and Zoom people. I had an operator for lights and he was behind a glass, had a mask and was doing social distancing.
‘I went through unbelievable efforts to adhere to the rules. The police were surprised that there were no people that they could issue a fine to.’
He said two officers were back at his door later to double-check it was still an online-only occasion.
Varsanao said,His girlfriend, thankfully, was not affected by this interference in her celebrations. “The police didn’t dampen my spirits. They were kind enough to say hello to my friends. They were doing what they needed to do,” she said. “It was incredible. I saw these cut-outs and they looked so real and then I turned around and saw a screen of my friends from all over the world.”
