A Turkish restaurant in North London could be forced to close permanently after police officers found it was still operating during a period where its licence had been suspended. The venue had received complaints that it was ‘operating more like a nightclub’, with one resident, who gave evidence at the previous hearing, alleging that the owner told them he would ‘f*** [their] mother in her grave’ when he confronted him in the street after speaking out against the venue.
Alaturca Lounge in Kingsbury had its licence suspended for a three-month period from June to September last year following a catalogue of complaints from police and residents, including alleged noise, antisocial behaviour and opening beyond its agreed times.
However, the police claim they were made aware that the venue was continuing to open during the suspension period, as well as beyond its licensable hours. The restaurant is only allowed to stay open until 11pm but officers allege that, when they carried out a number of visits, it was still open as late as 4am on one occasion and at midnight on another.
During one of their visits, police officers found customers were allowed to smoke inside the venue
(Image: Brent Council)
On one such visit in September, officers attended the venue at 12.30am and subsequently reported that the restaurant was open, with a DJ playing music to around 40 customers. Officers noted people smoking shisha inside, bottles of wines in coolers on the tables. The report alleges ‘extremely drunk people’ were seen on the premises, with one in particular not able to walk straight and another who was passed out in the toilet and had to be carried out by friends. Officers described the owner’s behaviour as ‘irresponsible’.
When challenged, officers claim the owner refused to provide them with CCTV and told them to ‘take [him] to court’. The police have since submitted an application to Brent Council to carry out another review, claiming the owner is ‘incapable’ of adhering to the licence and are urging the local authority to revoke it entirely.
The latest application also has a number of representations submitted by residents who claim the owner has ‘no respect’ for the law or public safety and want the licence taken away. In a document submitted against the application, a resident who gave evidence against the owner in the previous hearing alleges he was approached by the owner when walking past the premises one day.
The resident claims: “[…] when the license was suspended the licensee approached me when I foolishly walked past the premises on my way home, [they] spat on me, called me a mother f***er and told me that he was going to f*** my mother in her grave – all within yards of the children’s playground.”
Another wrote: “[…] this property is in an open park. Children from the neighbouring school walk through; it is next to a nursery and children’s playground, so it really is a very unsuitable location for anything other than a café.”
Brent Council’s Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee will review the case at a meeting later this month (January 30) when a decision on whether to revoke the restaurant’s licence will be made.
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