2:24pm Friday 13th August 2010
By Michael Pickard
A kebab shop in Watford town centre has been refused permission to extend its opening hours during the forthcoming August Bank Holiday.
Hayri's Kebab House, in Clarendon Road, had hoped to open until 4am on Monday, August 30. It is usually open until 4am Monday/Tuesdays to Saturday/Sundays and until midnight on Sunday/Mondays.
But following police objections to the Temporary Event Notice (TEN) submitted to Watford Borough Council, a licensing sub-committee this afternoon backed officers who said the extension could lead to an increase in crime and disorder.
During the hearing, it was revealed that since Easter, Hertfordshire Police have launched a crackdown on takeaways that wish to open late on Bank Holiday Sunday nights and into the following morning.
As a result, Hayri's was the only takeaway in the town centre to lodge an application for the forthcoming Bank Holiday.
A representative for Ashfaq Ahmed, the owner, told the committee that he would put on extra staff to deal with the likely increase in customers and that he does not normally have any problems from his customers with regard to crime and disorder.
Mr Ahmed also said he would consider hiring door staff for the occasion.
However, committee members were swayed by the argument of Sergeant Ian Smith, manager of the Watford and Three Rivers Community Safety Unit, who said there was a big leap in the number of violent crimes and public order offences in the town centre between midnight and 4am.
“It's this type of jump in policing requirement and the number of victims of crime that my chief inspector was particularly concerned about,” he said.
“It does bring the venue firmly into the post-midnight busy period of violent crime and disorder offences.”
Following a short deliberation, committee chairman Councillor George Derbyshire, flanked by Councillors Andrew Mortimer and Derek Scudder, told Mr Ahmed that his application had been refused.
Councillor Derbyshire said: “Having considered this application for a TEN, in light of the representations of Hertfordshire Constabulary, the committee is of the view that the granting of this application would more likely than not lead to an increase in crime and disorder.”
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