A Bolton bar and restaurant is not allowed a late-night licence after concern from a councillor, a licensing officer and a police officer.

The applicant, Amouye Bessoule, applied for the late-night licence for Gee's Bar and Restaurant on Derby Street over the summer.

Currently the bar and restaurant which was once The Derby Arms and Surya Restaurant is allowed to offer alcohol until 11pm every day of the week. The application was to be allowed to offer alcohol, hot drinks and hot food as late as 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays after an amendment to an initial application which went as late as 3am.

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There was concern from Ayyub Patel, a councillor for the area, as well as Bolton Council's Garry Lee and GMP's Ben Brookfield.

Cllr Patel said he and his colleagues, Abdul Atcha and Sajid Ali, were anxious about anti-social behaviour and criminal behaviour.

Mr Lee and PC Brookfield said it would be a challenge to address these issues in an area which is on the edge of the town centre.

PC Brookfield said: "The premises is outside the night-time operation and the town centre and it would be unusual for a premises to open this late in such a locality."

Gee's Bar and Restaurant is on Derby Street where other businesses are KFC, which is open into the early hours at the weekend, and McDonald's, which is open around the clock.

A committee of councillors David Chadwick, David Grant and Debbie Newall said it would not be appropriate to allow the late-night licence other than for hot drinks and hot food.

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After Cllrs Chadwick, Grant and Newall's ruling the bar and restaurant is allowed to offer alcohol no later than 11pm on any day of the week. 

It is allowed to offer hot drinks and hot food as late as 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays but no later than 11pm on any other day of the week.

The ruling said: "The Sub-Committee did not think that it was a suitable location for a late-night licence as it was situated in a residential area and there were concerns from residents and responsible authorities regarding anti-social behaviour."


This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.