Concerns were raised that “large intoxicated crowds” could gather outside in Hornchurch (Google Maps)
(Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Sebastian Mann)
The owners of McKlunky’s had applied to push their closing time on Fridays and Saturday back by an hour, to 2am.
But concerns had been raised by both the Metropolitan Police and Havering Council’s public protection team that “large intoxicated crowds” would gather outside and cause “crime and disorder”.
The takeaway, which specialises in doner kebabs and peri peri chicken, only has a small waiting area for customers, the council’s licensing committee was told.
The force also pointed to an incident in February last year when a man had been “slashed across the neck” while in the premises after closing time, according to the Romford Recorder.
However, owner and applicant Asif Khan insisted it had happened away from his High Street shop and he had been acting “heroically” by attempting to “break up a knife fight”.
The issue was further compounded by a visit from police in March, when they identified a raft of licence breaches. Officers found that food was being eaten in the shop when it strictly shouldn’t be, and there was no licensed doorman on duty.
Additionally, the management had not put up the required signs by the exit reminding customers to leave the shop quietly and not loiter outside.
Despite Asif’s protests that McKlunky’s – an apparent reference to a shop from Eastenders – was a household name that enjoyed “good relations” with the community, the application was rejected.
The committee made its decision on 26th July, the day of the hearing, but it wasn’t published until a week later, on 2nd August.
Councillors expressed concern that extending its hours would “encourage alcohol-fuelled people to congregate” in the area, which could lead to “more crime and disorder”.
According to a council report from 2018, the high street is the main hotspot for “violence with injury offences” in Hornchurch.
The application also ran afoul of the council’s licensing policy, which states applications will be viewed more favourably if they do not extend past 1am.
The owners will have 21 days to appeal the decision in the magistrates’ court.
