A restaurant and shisha lounge may lose its licence to promote alcohol after allegedly breaching coronavirus rules.
Councillors heard proof that Rakkas, in Green Lanes, Haringey, opened and supplied meals, alcohol and shisha pipes during a nationwide lockdown designed to cease the unfold of Covid-19.
But representatives of licence holder Ali Sukran Ozbek denied the allegations, claiming the venue had been providing a takeaway and supply service according to the restrictions.
Haringey Council ’s environmental well being group utilized for a evaluation of Rakkas’ premises licence, which was thought of by a gathering of the licensing subcommittee on Wednesday.
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Daliah Barrett, the council’s licensing group chief, informed the assembly the venue was open and offering “meals, alcohol and shisha pipes at a time when the nation was positioned into lockdown and hospitality companies had been successfully closed, save for the availability of takeaway meals solely.”
Ms Barrett stated the primary breach got here on December 5 final yr, when cops visited Rakkas and discovered shisha pipes had been being made out there to be used to clients on web site.
The second was on February 1, when officers “discovered proof of the general public on web site, shisha exercise was going down and the premises had catered for a lot of clients who got entry by way of the again door”, she added.
PC Derek Ewart, from the Metropolitan Police ’s north space licensing group, learn an announcement from one of many cops who attended on February 1.
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“It stated that when police entered, a steel shutter separating the entrance from the again of the restaurant was closing and they heard “a number of individuals working out of the again of the restaurant”.
He stated it was “clearly evident to officers there had been a lot of individuals smoking shisha, consuming and ingesting within the again space of the restaurant”.
But Graham Hopkins, who was representing Mr Ozbek, claimed individuals had been on the premises for a enterprise assembly, which was allowed underneath the coronavirus guidelines.
“Mr Ozbek denies breaking any guidelines on February 1,” he stated. “We say that the case shouldn’t be substantiated.
“The restaurant was legally open on February 1 for each dwelling deliveries by courier and a click-and-collection service for meals.”
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Mr Hopkins stated the restaurant supplied a supply service for shisha, after which the pipes had been “totally and hygienically cleaned”.
He questioned why the police had not requested for CCTV footage from the restaurant, which he stated had now been overwritten.
He additionally claimed to not have seen footage from a digital camera worn by one of many officers who had attended.
The proof referred to by police was “props” from a photoshoot going down as an example a brand new menu, Mr Hopkins claimed.
Cllr Viv Ross (Liberal Democrat, Fortis Green) identified that police statements revealed there was “proof of playing on the tables – playing cards and playing chips”.
Mr Hopkins claimed this was a prop introduced in by photographers.
But Cllr Ross stated he didn’t perceive why a photographer would take images of playing when the venue didn’t have a playing licence.
One of Mr Ozbek’s nephews claimed the desk was introduced in for a videography shoot for social media that the photographer didn’t find yourself utilizing.
PC Ewart defended the proof that had been supplied by the police, saying he thought it was ample. “It is felt that the licensing goals have been undermined,” he added.
After the general public session, the licensing committee thought of the proof in non-public.
The committee may revoke the licence, droop it, change its circumstances, exclude a licensable exercise from its scope or take away the designated premises supervisor.
Its resolution shall be revealed throughout the subsequent 5 working days.
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