Hartlepool takeaway accused of opening until 5am appeals against licensing sanctions

It comes after Hartlepool Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee considered an application in July to review the licence of King Kaz at 98 York Road.

The site was permitted to provide “late-night refreshment” until 3am for seven days a week.

But council licensing chiefs said they had observed trading “as late as 5am on a number of occasions”.

Council licensing officers, who launched the review application, also raised concerns of an alleged “unlicensed taxi driver” operating from the site.

Councillors on the committee agreed to suspend King Kaz’s late-night refreshment licence for three months and to reduce its operating hours from 3am to midnight.

An appeal has now been lodged over the decision, with discussions held over hearing arrangements at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Muhammad Umar Arshad, the premises licence holder, was in attendance and it was agreed the case will be heard at the court on Tuesday, November 29.

This will involve witness statements being considered and CCTV footage being reviewed, the court heard.

Evidence and representations were previously put forward from both the council and the takeaway at the licensing sub-committee meeting which took place at the end of July.

Mr Arshad, the premises licence holder, admitted the shop was open late when he was away in London and workers were running it on his behalf.

He apologised and said he had “taken steps to ensure it won’t happen again”.

Councillors heard a number of staff involved with the opening hours breaches had been fired and the takeaway was committed to operating under the terms of its licence in future, including security training for staff.

King Kaz bosses added visits by the alleged unlicensed taxi driver were uninvited, with the individual going to “various shops all around Hartlepool”, and that steps were being taken to prevent further interactions with the individual.

Despite denials from King Kaz bosses at the meeting, council licensing chiefs maintained CCTV footage showed a “relationship” between the shop and the alleged unlicensed taxi driver.

Under the Licensing Act 2003, the business had the right to appeal the committee’s decision.