Jazz faces the music and loses licence

Monday February 8, 2010

A shop owner who sold super-strength booze to street drunks despite continued police warnings has had his licence taken off him.

Manmohan Singh Arora, who owns Jazz at 69 Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush, was told on January 25 at a licensing review that his licence to sell alcohol would be suspended for one month.

Hammersmith & Fulham Licensing Sub-Committee heard from police that Arora had been repeatedly warned about selling strong beer, lager and cider such as Skol, K and Special Brew, to people who were already drunk.

Hammersmith police’s local safer neighbourhood team called for the review, asking for two extra conditions – that beer, lager or cider stronger than 5.5 per cent could not be sold, and that the licence time change from 8am to 11am –  to be added to the current licence.

But following evidence from police officers and residents, the sub-committee decided that along with agreeing to the extra conditions, the licence should be revoked for one month. This means that the ban will come into effect on February 25, unless Arora appeals the decision.

Arora was warned by police and licensing officers in September 25 last year after a group of street drinkers outside Goldhawk Road tube station claimed they had been served by him.

PC Rebecca Robinson said she saw an intoxicated man buying a can of 9 per cent lager at Jazz, even though he could barely stand up properly. She said: “My attention was drawn to him as I saw him stick two fingers up at a woman passing the shop. I heard him shout and swear inside the off-licence. He said ‘f***’ a number of times. He was unsteady on his feet and his eyes were glazed.”

Another two boozed-up men were then served at the shop, all within half an hour of each other, which led to Arora being given a written warning.

PC Robinson said she had previously spoken to Arora at the start of the month, saying: “We warned him about serving to drunks, explaining that this was an offence under the Licensing Act 2003. We also asked if he would consider stopping selling high strength beers and cider to help with the street drinking problem in the area. Mr Arora refused saying that he did not sell to anyone who was drunk.”

However, the warnings made no difference, and in November three more incidents were recorded by police, who confiscated super strength drinks bought at Jazz from a group of street drinkers.

Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for crime and street-scene, said: “It beggars belief that, despite being warned so many times by police and licensing officers, Arora failed to cooperate and continued to break the law.

“We have been making great strides to cut down on the number of drinkers on Goldhawk Road, where it is a real problem, by introducing a controlled drinking area."