Drinks License Refused For Brighton Restaurant After 'Lack of Confidence'

Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:22

By Sarah Booker-Lewis - LDRS

A Brighton restaurant owner who repeatedly broke licensing rules has had an application for a new drinks licence rejected by a panel of councillors.

Police and council licensing officials said that they had no confidence in Rafiqul Islam’s ability to comply with the terms of any licence for his Indian restaurant, Cardamom, in St James’s Street.

Mr Islam’s previous licence lapsed when he dissolved the company that owned the premises and set up a replacement last June, a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel hearing was told.

He had been granted the licence for the premises in January last year, having taking over the restaurant about three months earlier.

Police licensing officer Claire Abdelkader said that, during inspections after Mr Islam officially took over the business, officers found several breaches of licence conditions.

Mr Islam was told that he had no licence in October 2023 but, a month later, officers found drinks menus on tables, alcohol behind the bar, though not on display, and beer pumps operating.

Further breaches were found when another licensing check took place in December – and again last March.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) was not installed and when cameras were brought in, they were battery powered and licensing officers found they were not working.

The council licensing panel hearing, on Monday 3 February, was told that Mr Islam, 47, was issued with a final written warning in December.

Mr Islam’s licensing agent, Paul Thornton, said that his client worked at the business all day every day, with two staff in the kitchen and his wife joining him at busy periods.

Mr Thornton said:

“The fact the licence had lapsed six months previously and no one in any authority was able to determine this is surprising.

“Having explained the circumstances behind that, Mr Islam gained nothing from that. He has lost more than he gained from that lapse.”

But the panel of three councillors – David McGregor, Ivan Lyons and Paul Nann – also said that they had no confidence in Mr Islan to stick to any licence conditions.

They also said that they were concerned about Mr Islam’s ability to be the sole licence holder and so present at the business all the time when alcohol was on sale.

He applied for a licence to permit drink sales from 10am until midnight every day.

A decision letter from the council said:

“Overall, the panel shares the concerns of the responsible authorities and considers that granting this licence … is likely to undermine the licensing objectives and therefore the application is refused.”

Mr Islam has 21 days to appeal against the decision.