High levels of theft and violent crime are blighting an area where a restaurant owner wants a licence to serve alcohol.
Sussex Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst told councillors that at weekends more than a third of crimes in St James’s Street, Brighton, involved “violence against the person”.
Ms Staplehurst made her comments at a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel hearing for the Mona Lisa, in St James’s Street.
The owner, Cem Ince, has applied to sell alcohol to customers who are seated and having a meal.
The force said that the application did not mention security staff even though the location, in the busy centre of Brighton, gave rise to concerns about drink-related crime and disorder.
Ms Staplehurst said: “There are regular incidents occurring within the locality requiring police attendance. It is an area that attracts street drinking and drug-related offences.
“While these incidents are spread throughout the day and into the early hours, they could have an impact on the type of business being considered.”
From Saturday 21 January 2023 to Saturday 20 January 2024, within a 528ft (160m) radius of the business there were 1,263 police-recorded incidents. Of these, 645 were crimes.
Theft was the most common, with 214 incidents, followed by violence against the person, with 189 incidents, and 76 public order offences.
At weekends, 35 per cent of all recorded crime in the area involved violence against the person.
Sussex Police was also concerned about the applicant’s desire for a “split” licence, with the premises operating as a restaurant until midnight then continuing as a takeaway. The takeaway customers would not be able to buy alcohol.
The hearing was told that the business already had a licence for “late-night refreshment” which allowed food and drink sales from Monday to Thursday until 1am the next morning, and on Fridays and Saturdays until 3am the next morning as well as until midnight on Sundays.
At the hearing on Thursday 25 January, Ms Staplehurst said that the force had “no confidence” in Mr Ince after staff were seen selling food to a customer at 12.15am on New Year’s Day (a Monday) after its licensing hours.
Council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale said that the council also did not have confidence in Mr Ince after the business operated without a valid licence during Pride last year.
The shop, which was undergoing refurbishment, opened to serve customers despite its licence having lapsed.
Mr Ince did not attend the licensing panel hearing but his agent Derya Teke said that her client was aware of local licensing policy, having traded in St James’s Street for many years.
She said that there was no intention to turn the business into a “drinking establishment”.
Ms Teke said: “It is clear from the application that the aim is not to sell any alcohol off the premises or have alcohol listed on any delivery platforms.
“The sale of alcohol will be controlled within the premises and would have no effect on a split licence.”
Councillor Paul Nann, one of the three licensing panel members, asked about the lack of security staff in the application because the seated area was not visible from the counter.
Councillor Nann said: “I’ve worked in food prep and I know how it gets. If you add alchol to that it can get a bit lairy.
“If you can’t see what’s going on, stuff happens and you only find out about it after it’s gone past a certain point. It feels a bit dangerous to have alcohol and a complete lack of visibility to what is going on around you.”
Ms Teke said that security would be considered if it was necessary to meet the conditions.
The panel – Councillor Nann, Councillor John Hewitt and Councillor Ivan Lyons – retired to make their decision which should be made public within five working days.
I think the problem in Brighton and Hove is all the corner shops selling alcohol around the clock, but the Police just seem to target pubs/clubs/ restaurants etc. The shops are also the cause of rubbish on our beach. Shops shold stop selling alcohol from 11pm.