London Astoria Venue 'Can't Be Saved'

London’s famous Astoria venue will be demolished to make way for the new Crossrail service, the city’s mayor Ken Livingstone has confirmed.

However, he added that the venue, situated in the heart of the city, will be replaced by a “better” alternative.

Launching a new music strategy yesterday, Livingstone said that it “just physically isn’t possible” to save the Astoria as plans for the Crossrail include the construction of a new train station in its place.

The long-awaited service, which is due to open in 2017, will create a new link between the West and East of the city.

"We're basically putting in a vast train station but the developers that have actually drawn up the scheme for the area are replacing it with a larger live music venue," the mayor said.

35,000 people had signed a petition to try and save the Astoria following the recent closure of other music venues including The Spitz and Hammersmith Palais, reports the BBC.

In recent years, the Astoria has seen performances from a variety of bands from Oasis to Interpol.