A LATE-NIGHT takeaway owner wants to sell food until midnight but police and licensing officers are opposing his plans.

Fadi Bedewi, 35, runs Grill 66 in Queen’s Road, Brighton, and wants a late-night refreshment licence so that he can serve customers an hour after his current 11pm closing time.

Brighton and Hove City Council licensing officer Emma Bullen said that she was concerned about the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance.

While Mr Bedewi had no plan to sell alcohol, the takeaway was in a central part of Brighton and Hove that had been designated a “cumulative impact area” because of the saturation of licensed premises such as pubs, bars and clubs.

The council’s policies restricted the granting of new or extended licences in the cumulative impact area, save in exceptional circumstances, because it tended to have more crime and disorder, especially at night.

The takeaway, yards from Brighton railway station, is in the St Peter’s and North Laine ward which has the highest rate of alcohol-related incidents recorded by the police in Brighton and Hove.

Inspector Robert Lovell said in a formal letter of objection: “Sussex Police believe that granting this application will add to the existing negative cumulative effect in an area already saturated with late-opening licensed premises.” He added: “Sussex Police have concerns over the granting of a new licence at this premises due to its location.”

Grill 66 has used “temporary event notices” to enable legal later opening on key nights of the year.

Mr Bedewi said that he inadvertently opened too late when he bought the business in 2017 but had since kept to the letter of the law.

He committed to having security cameras as well as employing qualified door staff for the later trading times.

Mr Bedewi said that his takeaway was on the edge of the “cumulative impact area” and next to an area with more relaxed policies. These permitted takeaways to serve until midnight. He added: “One has seen the authorities argue before, where premises have been just outside the CIZ (cumulative impact zone), that CIZ considerations should still be applied. So the reverse would equally apply.”

The application, to trade until midnight seven nights a week, is due to be decided by a licensing panel made up of three councillors at Hove Town Hall next Tuesday.