Brighton Pizza and Chicken’s late-night licence bid faces police opposition citing concerns about increased crime and alcohol-related issues in the area.
They have a license to sell food late. Weekends allow sales until 2 AM. Sundays to Thursdays end at midnight. Now, they want permission to open until 4 AM.
Police looked into the place in April. The late license was suspended then because they didn’t pay the license fees. The business traded until 5 AM anyway.
Police saw the website said 5 AM closing. Now, the website shows 2 AM closing daily. Police say late food adds to problems. People drinking gather there.
The police believe this increases crime and trouble in an area already struggling. London Road had many violent crimes. Police recorded 469 incidents there.
The area ranks poorly for alcohol-related crime and is also second-worst for violence reports. Police think staying open later makes it worse; more people will be around needing help.
The pizza shop owner is Javid Omare. He said the 5 AM closing was a mistake and claimed he updated the website. Google showed a closing time of 11 PM.
Omare offered a delivery-only compromise. Deliveries would run from 2 AM to 4 AM. Drivers would use the back entrance to stop parking on the main road.
Omare took a security course, too, and wants to meet police demands. He said the business is struggling financially right now and he’s trying to follow all the rules.
Three councilors will decide. They will announce their decision soon, within five working days. I’ll tell you what happens next, okay?