Kebab shop latest Ipswich premises targeted in licensing crackdown

Why it matters: Best Kebab, on Dogs Head Street, could have its licence revoked entirely after police applied for a review citing "serious criminal disorder", following a fight involving between eight and 10 people on 27 February.

The details: Ipswich Borough Council's licensing sub-committee will consider the application on Friday. According to council documents, the February fight required a large police response and a number of people were assaulted with offensive weapons. A police investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The premises licence has already been suspended following an earlier meeting, pending the full review.

What they're saying: In an application to the council, Suffolk Constabulary's licensing officer Sharon Betts-Palmer said the force had "no confidence" that the licence holder, Mr Mohammod Mamon Neshat, would take steps to promote the objectives of the Licensing Act.

The force added that keeping the licence in place could potentially put vulnerable people at serious risk of harm.

For context: A public notice displayed at the premises confirms the review has been made under Section 53A(1)(b) of the Licensing Act 2003, on the grounds that the premises "are associated with serious disorder". Representations from residents and responsible authorities could be made between 8 and 21 April 2026.

The bigger picture: The application is the latest in a series of enforcement actions against Ipswich premises in recent weeks.

• On Monday, 13 April, councillors revoked the licence of Café Carla on Norwich Road, going further than police had requested, after a Suffolk Police application cited a failure to prevent crime and disorder — including an allegation that a 15-year-old girl had been served alcohol at a children's party in a back room.
• On 24 March, The Orange Shop, a Norwich Road vape shop, was fined more than £4,000 at Ipswich Magistrates' Court after admitting it had sold vapes to underage customers on multiple occasions.
• A day earlier, magistrates rejected a police closure order against Magazin Bacau Romanian Supermarket on the Buttermarket, despite a multi-agency investigation that led to the seizure of illicit alcohol, tobacco and prescription-only medication. It is unclear why it was rejected, but police sources were said to have been angry and frustrated by the court's decision.

What's next: The licensing sub-committee will meet on Friday, 24 February, to decide whether to revoke, suspend, or modify the premises licence, or to take no further action.

The bottom line: Best Kebab is the latest Ipswich premises to face formal enforcement action, with Friday's hearing set to test how far the borough's licensing authority is willing to go in response to police concerns about disorder at town centre venues.

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