Licensing chiefs were so worried about revellers getting drunk on “tipsy” ice cream, they held a formal meeting to decide the future of a “barlour” planned for a Brighton side street.
Sussex Police objected to an application for a premises licence for the business – Mr Tipsy Ice Cream – “on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance”.
A Green councillor wondered whether people would get drunk if they came for a couple of scoops on a night out.
And an anonymous council official, whose details were redacted in the public papers for a formal licensing panel hearing, also objected.
The unnamed official said that the proposed shop – in George Street in Brighton – was in an electoral ward with one of the worst records for alcohol-related crime and health problems.
The official – who described him or herself as the guardian of the council’s licensing policy – wrote: “Queen’s Park ward ranks worst for A&E attendances with a record of alcohol and second worst for … clients in alcohol treatment and third worst for alcohol-suspected ambulance callouts.”
An anonymous objection from a Sussex Police licensing inspector, believed to be Inspector Rob Lovell, in the name of Chief Constable Jo Shiner, said: “The locality suffers from well publicised anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder and general public nuisance.
“Alcohol plays a large part in many of the incidents that occur within the area.
“During the day, we see a number of alcohol-related shoplifting offences. In the evenings, incidents are often linked to persons that have consumed alcohol.
“These are a mix of people having committed crime while intoxicated but also affecting people that have become a victim due to their own intoxication and being seen as easy pickings by offenders.”
The licensing inspector, whose name was redacted on the public papers by Brighton and Hove City Council before the licensing panel hearing, proposed a set of conditions if a licence were to be granted.
They included a condition that “alcoholic ice cream offerings will be no more than 70 per cent of the total ice creams on offer, meaning that at least 30 per cent will be non-alcoholic”.
Other proposed conditions included displaying alcoholic and non-alcoholic ice creams in separate display units – and a ban on deliveries “open spaces”.
The applicant, Tom Gathercole, 24, offered some reassurance to the licensing panel which was made up of three councillors.
He told them that there were practical limits to the amount of alcohol in ice cream because it made liquids harder to freeze.
Green councillor Marianna Ebel asked about limits to the number of scoops, saying that three could include a significant amount of alcohol.
She said: “Two would be compatible with one pint of beer from the alcohol content, wouldn’t it?
“If you have three scoops, that would be able three units of alcohol. I guess from the ice cream itself, you can’t get drunk or very drunk.”
Councillor Ebel was concerned about how the ice cream might interact with other alcohol if people went to the pub and then had an ice cream before going on to another venue.
Mr Gathercole said that the sugar and fat in ice cream slowed down alcohol absorption – and he added that he would not serve people who were drunk.
Green councillor Lizzie Deane asked about limits on the ice creams’ alcohol content, with Mr Tipsy’s current maximum amounting to 10 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume).
She wondered whether to limit future products so that they would not exceed a specific ABV.
Mr Gathercole said: “It gets to a certain point where it freezes so you can only get to a certain percentage. Ten per cent is pretty much there.
“We are looking to work with Brighton Gin and Unbarred Brewery and make local ice creams. We’d be happy to consider any conditions.”
He was unsure whether his hopes of coming up with a malt whisky flavour might mean that a higher ABV would be desirable.
The licensing panel agreed that, were it to grant a licence, the ABV would be limited to 15 per cent.
If the licence is granted, the shop is expected to trade from noon to 10pm on Sundays to Thursdays and noon to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The parlour would be for adults only – no under 18s would be admitted – and “deliveries will only be conducted by persons on a bicycle or via the premises tricycle”.
Mr Tipsy would not be allowed to make deliveries by motorbike, moped, car, van or similar.
The licensing panel said that it would publish its decision within five working days.
“A Green councillor wondered whether people would get drunk if they came for a couple of scoops on a night out.”
And this, ladies and gents, is why it’s just wrong to vote for Greens.
No grasp on reality