A West London shisha bar and restaurant has been allowed to remain open despite a reported violent incident taking place.
It comes only five months after councillors granted the shisha bar an extension of operating hours despite concerns from the Metropolitan Police.
The alleged incident took place on June 9, at approximately 10.40pm, at Al-Shorfa in Park Royal. It is alleged that a group of men entered the premises and according to police, a fight involving weapons ensued.
The police were later called and arrests were made. Those arrested have been released pending further investigation.
The Met Police sought a suspension of the license, citing concerns with the management of the venue. However, the Ealing Licensing Sub-Committee did not suspend the license, and instead enforced new conditions with a full review hearing to follow once the investigation has developed further.
In January 2025, the venue sought to extend its operating hours into the early morning. At the time, the police shared concerns that licensing conditions would not be followed if granted.
PC Vicky Hewison said in January: “The premises was only granted a premise licence in July [2024] and is operating outside of their hours, showing complete disregard for the hours and conditions that are on their current licence.
“At this time, the police have no confidence that the management of the premises will be able to operate, whilst promoting the licensing objectives.”
This statement was made based upon the experiences of the Ealing Council Noise Nuisance Team, not due to any police reports. The Committee Chair of the January meeting, Cllr Munir Ahmed, said the sub-committee were confident the venue would be well managed and prevent public nuisance.
At the hearing on Thursday, June 19, legal representatives for Al-Shorfa cited the lack of any prior police involvement in the 18 months of operation as a basis for allowing the bar to remain open. The bar had also been allowed to operate in the ten days following the alleged violent incident without any issues.
There was discussion throughout the hearing about CCTV footage of the alleged incident, something the committee chair refers to when returning the decision. Cllr Kim Kaur Nagpal said: “It was apparent that representations from each party were far apart, and very much reliant on the sub-committee having access to the footage which wasn’t available to view at the hearing.”
Al-Shorfa will within seven days have to install an upgrade CCTV system, providing police real time access. Additionally, it must also install ID scanners and engage all staff in safety training and conflict management.
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