Wakefield takeaway Shalamar withdraws new bid to open after 11pm, just 24 hours before hearing

The city centre outlet, based on Westgate, is currently banned from selling pizza, chicken and kebabs after 11pm.

Known to many locals as the takeaway which hosted a late-night party to dance music in 2015, a police crackdown saw it lose its late-night licence earlier this year after it failed to employ door staff.

Shalamar's new boss, Saqib Ali, had submitted a new application to open until 5am between December 20 and 27, which was supposed to go before a hearing on Tuesday morning.

However, less than 24 hours beforehand, the hearing was cancelled, with Wakefield Council confirming the application had been withdrawn.

In papers released in advance, West Yorkshire Police objected to the bid, and said it was "the same in content" to Mr Ali's previous application to open late, which was rejected on December 6.

At that hearing, Mr Ali told a panel of councillors that he could "make Shalamar popular again", having run nextdoor takeaway Jay Dee's without any problems for 12 years.

But police told the hearing that the takeaway had "developed a reputation for itself" and that officers regularly have to deal with misbehaving customers at the premises.

The city centre outlet, based on Westgate, is currently banned from selling pizza, chicken and kebabs after 11pm.

Known by many locals as the takeaway which hosted a late-night party to dance music in 2015, a police crackdown saw it lose its late-night licence earlier this year after it failed to employ door staff.

Shalamar's new boss, Saqib Ali, had submitted a new application to open until 5am between December 20 and 27, which was supposed to go before a hearing on Tuesday morning.

However, less than 24 hours beforehand, the hearing was cancelled, with Wakefield Council confirming the application had been withdrawn.

In papers released in advance, West Yorkshire Police objected to the bid, and said it was "the same in content" to Mr Ali's previous application to open late, which was rejected on December 6.

At that hearing, Mr Ali told a panel of councillors that he could "make Shalamar popular again", having run nextdoor takeaway Jay Dee's without any problems for 12 years.

But police told the hearing that the takeaway had "developed a reputation for itself" and that officers regularly have to deal with misbehaving customers at the premises.

Local Democracy Reporting Service