Worthing Borough Council

September 2009

Page Rating

1 2 3 4 5

01903 221017

newsroom@worthing.gov.uk

This is a News Archive section and the information in it might be out of date or have broken links. The archive is here for historical purposes. Our most recent news articles are in our news section

Worthing Borough Council calls time on illegal alcohol sales

Released: 23 Sep 2009

At a hearing on Wednesday evening, 16 September, members of Worthing Borough Council’s Licensing & Control Committee revoked the premises licence, authorising the sale of alcohol, held by Mr Rahmi Aktepe at the International Food Centre at 30 Tarring Road, Worthing.

The hearing was held following an application from Sussex Police for a ‘Review’ of the shop’s licence under the Licensing Act 2003.

The Licensing Act 2003 was introduced to allow better and more proportionate regulation of business giving them greater freedom and flexibility to meet their customers’ expectations while providing greater protection of local residents, whose lives can be blighted by disturbance and anti-social behaviour associated with a minority of licensed premises.

The Act provides tough powers to enable licensing authorities and the police to bring the minority of badly managed premises into line with the best. Through the review procedure the authority and the enforcement agencies are equipped with the tools to deter behaviour that produces disorder or generates public nuisance or threatens public safety or the well being of our children.

At the hearing Sussex Police produced evidence of under age alcohol sales, alcohol being sold outside the permitted hours and to someone who was already drunk, failure to comply with conditions of the licence and a complete lack of management control at the shop.

The catalogue of failures to comply with the act or the shop’s licence resulted in the Committee resolving that revocation was the necessary and proportionate measure in this case.

Following the hearing Licensing & Control Committee Chairman, Jacqui Marsh, said:

“Worthing Borough Council and its partner Sussex Police have shown their determination not to sit idly whilst premises flout the law. We have an obligation to promote the licensing objectives and ensure that Licensed Premises in the town operate legally and to the very highest of standards. Licences to sell alcohol are accompanied by some serious obligations to the well being of the town and the general public. The council wants to make it plain to the public and trade that businesses that consistently fail to meet these obligations will not be tolerated.”

Return to Previous Page

Back to Navigation - Back to the top of this article