Town centre kebab shop stripped of licence after 'serious disorder'

Why it matters: The decision marks the latest enforcement action against an Ipswich town centre venue, as Suffolk Constabulary and the borough council continue to step up licensing scrutiny.

The details: The borough council's licensing committee made the decision last Friday following a review instigated by Suffolk Constabulary.

Journalists were asked to leave the room before any representations started, with the meeting taking place in private.

According to the police's application, the review request was due to a large fight involving between eight and 10 people on 27 February.

Council documents said the fight required a large police response, and a number of people were assaulted with offensive weapons. A police investigation into the incident is ongoing.

What they're saying: The force said in its application that it had no confidence that the licence holder, Mr Mohammod Neshat, would take steps to promote the objectives of the Licensing Act.

It added that keeping the licence could potentially put vulnerable people at serious risk of harm.

For context: During the private meeting, members were shown a video by Mike Bacon, representing the constabulary, supporting the force's case. Members also heard from Mr Neshat, his legal representative and two other witnesses.

The bigger picture: The revocation follows 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.

The bottom line: After a nearly two-hour hearing held behind closed doors, councillors have sided with Suffolk Constabulary, stripping Best Kebab of its licence and adding another venue to the growing list of Ipswich premises to face formal enforcement action.

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