A Notting Hill restaurant boss has claimed Rita Ora’s team offered £5000 to break Covid rules and host a 30th birthday bash, police have revealed.

CCTV at Casa Cruz were switched off on the day of the party, November 28 last year, at the request of event security.

Police are trying to get the venue’s licence revoked ahead of a hearing on Thursday. Details of the event emerged in a licence review report, the PA reports.

The venue boss Scottie Bhattarai told police he was offered money to host “drinks and nibbles” but no payment was made at the time and apologised for being “greedy”.

The restaurant owner said that he initially expected seven people to attend but by 9pm almost 20 people had arrived.

Guests included model and actress Cara Delevingne and her sister Poppy, according to police.

Bhattarai later said the camera system had been faulty and scheduled for repair. No payment had been taken in relation to the event at the time of his statement, Bhattarai said.

The CCTV hard drives were reformatted on November 30, police said, and no footage was available for the previous month.

Bhattarai did not disclose details of the party organiser to police, according to the report.

thisisoxfordshire: Rita Ora apologised after breaching Covid rules for a birthday party (Matt Crossick/PA)Rita Ora apologised after breaching Covid rules for a birthday party (Matt Crossick/PA)

Pc James Larner said in a statement included in the report he was on duty when he and a colleague answered a call about a potential breach of Covid rules.

They arrived at Casa Cruz shortly after 11.30pm and could hear music playing.

The windows of the venue were blacked out preventing the officers from seeing in, according to the statement.

However, they peered through small gaps and saw two maskless women sitting at a table, a man by the bar and three other women sitting at a separate table.

Glasses were visible, Pc Larner said. Police knocked on the door causing the music to stop, however there was no response from those inside and they disappeared from view, the statement said.

Pc Larner said the music stopping and the occupants apparently leaving meant “it was likely that Covid regulations were being knowingly breached as the occupants did not wish to engage with officers”.

Apologising at the time, Ora said: “I feel particularly embarrassed knowing first-hand how hard people have worked to combat this terrible illness and being fully aware of the sacrifices that people and businesses have made to help keep us all safe.

“Even though this won’t make it right, I want to sincerely apologise.”