A shisha bar in north Manchester has been accused of 'operating unlawfully' after police were called to the site hours after it was supposed to have closed. Flamingo Bar and Restaurant in Cheetham Hill has also been accused by the city council of allowing customers to smoke shisha pipes in an enclosed area.
Councillors decided to revoke the premises licence following a hearing on Monday (November 14), although the owner could now appeal the decision. It comes less than a year after the premises in Honey Street first opened, having taken over from the former Queens Arms pub which lost its licence.
The pub was shut down in 2020 after a 20-year-old was stabbed on the site. Since being granted a licence to open as a restaurant and bar earlier this year, police were called out to two incidents which took place after hours.
According to GMP, both incidents occurred more than two hours after opening hours which are from 9am to 2.30am on Fridays, Saturdays and bank holidays. Owner Samsom Kahsay apologised for his 'mistakes', blaming his failure to address the issues on the death of his dad, but promised to 'make it right'.
However, the licensing panel had 'no confidence' in the management of the bar and accused Mr Kahsay of showing 'disregard' of his licence and the law. Speaking at the licensing hearing, council officer Ben Moran said: "We have a premises that's operating unlawfully that we've made endeavour to seek compliance and today we are sat before you having failed to achieve that.
"Ultimately Mr Kahsay needs to take responsibility. We're in this position today because he refuses to comply."
The licensing out of hours team has received noise complaints relating to the premises which was found to be open beyond permitted hours when visited. Officers also identified breaches of the Health Act during inspections in which people were seen smoking shisha pipes in an enclosed extension at the back.
Representing Mr Kahsay at the hearing, solicitor Andrea Forrest said the plastic sheets covering the rear extension area have now been rolled up, but the structure is due to be demolished as it does not have planning permission. She said Mr Kahsay should not have attended a pre-review meeting held with officers in September days after his dad died following a period of ill health.
Responding to claims that Mr Kahsay could not answer 'basic' questions about his licence at this meeting, she said, "he was there in body, but not in mind". She added: "I do not think that he deserves to have his licence revoked on the basis of a meeting where his head wasn't in it at all."
The committee concluded it was appropriate to revoke the premises licence. Investigations into both incidents attended by the police, in which a racially aggravated public order offence and assault were logged, have been closed.
Read more of today's stories here.
READ NEXT:
-
'I delivered pizzas during the pandemic – now I work in tech for Deliveroo'
-
The list of sites in Manchester where new affordable homes are set to be built
-
Manchester council braced for budget cuts and 3 pc council tax hike to plug £96m gap
-
More employed people in Greater Manchester are having to use homeless shelters
-
Clean Air Zone plans could be pushed back because of 'chaos in Westminster'
