The owners of a Brighton off-licence want longer trading hours but officials are more concerned about drugs paraphernalia on sale in the shop.
Baseem Karkour, 29, and Kinan Daoud, 24, applied to Brighton and Hove City Council to be able to open Wine Me Up, in Lewes Road, at 7am every day instead of 10am.
And they want to be sell alcohol until 3am at weekends and 2am in the week. The store currently shuts at 1am every day.
Green councillor Zoe John and Independent councillor Anne Pissaridou both asked about the drugs paraphernalia at a council licensing panel hearing today (Wednesday 20 July).
A report to the panel said that it was found on sale during a licensing inspection last month, with council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale listing “crack pipes, grinders, spoons, bongs and tourniquets” as typical examples of drugs paraphernalia.
She said: “They had quite a big selection of drug paraphernalia. For ourselves, when a premises has a licence, we do not feel it is very appropriate, especially with regards to the licensing objectives (relating to) crime and disorder and protecting children from harm.
“Advertising these goods is not a demonstration of being very responsible.”
Ms Lynsdale said that having such items on sale was a legal grey area.
Councillor Pissaridou asked if someone might have left the items in a dump bin in the shop but Ms Lynsdale said that they were on display on the shelves.
Mr Karkour told the panel that he had removed all the items and sent a picture of them in the bin.
Sussex Police objected to the application because Lewes Road is in a busy part of Brighton where the council has tougher licensing rules because of concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.
Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst said that, within a quarter of a mile of the shop, 1,714 incidents were reported and 518 crimes were recorded in the year to mid-June.
And the shop was in the St Peter’s and North Laine electoral ward which was ranked worst in Brighton and Hove for drink-related incidents and criminal damage and second-worst for violence.
She said that licensed premises in the busiest areas were expected to pay special attention to licensing rules to ensure that they did not add to problems in the area.
Ms Staplehurst said that Mr Karkour had not “acknowledged any local concerns or offered any particularly reasoning” why his business should have an exceptionally late licence.
Conservative councillor Dee Simson asked if the force would object to the same hours in other parts of the city.
Ms Staplehurst said that it would depend on the crime statistics and the area.
Mr Karkour said that he wanted to open earlier in the day to sell newspapers and to be able to apply for a National Lottery concession.
The panel’s legal adviser told Mr Karkour that he could open earlier under the terms of his current licence but would have to cover alcohol until 10am.
The panel retired to make its decision which is due to be made public within five working days.
What is Anne Pissaridou still doing being a member of the council? Wasn’t she kicked out for her antisemitic behaviour?
Nowhere in this “report” does it state exactly what was found on the premises. Typically, it skirts the issue by saying that “crack pipes, grinders, spoons, bongs and tourniquets” are “typical examples of drugs paraphernalia”. Well, we know that but were those items found on the premises?
Nothing surprises, sorry shocks me any more around the Lewes Road student area any more!
Bars, clubs should be granted licenses as they are managed many with security. Problem drinking comes from these late night corner shops, they should not be allowed to sell alcohol after 11pm.