AN OFF-LICENCE which was closed for nearly a year after its drinks licence was revoked looks unlikely to be granted another premises licence.

Moonlight, formerly International Food and Wine, was described as having a shady history of selling drink to under 18s and stocking illicit and smuggled alcohol.

Sussex Police and the Brighton and Hove City Council licensing department both objected to an application for a new premises licence for the Preston Road shop.

Council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale said the landlord and previous tenants had breached the terms of their original premises licence.

It was revoked in December 2017, an appeal failed and a new application was refused last April.

She said: “After continuous problems with the premises, the licence was revoked. This premises alone has taken a lot of time and resources by all.

“When the licence was revoked a strong statement was sent to other premises.”

A council licensing panel, sitting at Hove Town Hall on Monday, heard how the licence is attached to the premises, not to the person in charge.

This meant there was a risk of the return of the same problems of under-age sales and poor management.

Ms Lynsdale said there was little the council could do to stop the landlord transferring a new licence to someone else.

The panel was told the area had posed an enormous problem during Pride, with off-licences in the area, which are open until 3am, selling alcohol to people who were already drunk.

Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst described Preston Road as saturated with off-licences.

She said there were three directly opposite Moonlight as well as restaurants, cafe bars and two busy pubs and added: “Another off-licence along this stretch of road is not suitable and creates a potential nuisance for residents.”

If a licence is granted, Sussex Police want it to include a condition that two staff are on duty from 7pm to 11pm seven nights a week.

Potential tenant Rany Dahwch originally applied to sell alcohol from 7am until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays and from 7am until 1am Sunday to Thursday.

He runs Booze Corner in Lewes Road, which has a 5am licence.

Mr Dahwch was offered the lease of the Preston Road shop by his Lewes Road landlord, the panel was told. But he had not yet signed a contract because he wanted to secure a premises licence first.

The panel will make its decision in the next five days.