Police have urged councillors not to allow a Shoreditch shop to sell fried chicken, because the owner has “some way to go” before being able to prove he can be a “responsible operator”.

Eastgate UK Ltd has applied for a licence to sell takeaway food at Selekt Chicken in Great Eastern Street until 3am week days and 5am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

A petition with 25 signatures from people living all over London has been submitted in support of the application.

But in a statement for Hackney Council’s licensing sub-committee which is due to make a decision tonight, the Met’s licensing officer Pc Kerrie Ryan pointed out the venue’s “long history”, which saw its licence first revoked in November 2015, then again in February 2018. Since then the owner and applicant has refurbished the off-licence and turned it into a fast food diner. And now it lies in the extended Shoreditch Special Policy Area (SPA) - an area identified as suffering from the cumulative negative impact of so many licensed premises. Pc Ryan explained how she had seen the shop open with customers inside on December 21 at 11.30pm when the owner Mr Kiyani told her it was his “opening night”.

“When it was explained to him that he does not have a premises licence which would authorise the sale of hot food after 11pm, he showed me a planning appeal letter,” she said. “Disappointingly Mr Kiyani did not appear to know that planning permission and a premises licence are two different things. Considering the long and drawn out process he had undertaken with the previous revocation and subsequent appeal hearing and the length of time he has been a licensee, it shows there is a definite training need and some way to go before being able to show police that he can be a responsible operator.”

The shop was then seen trading on New Year’s Day at 2.30am.

One person supporting the application also described how the shop had already been breaching licensing regulations: “This premises has been opening 24 hours in the past and we have not observe (sic) any above relating issue. I think this outlet will provide the local community a more food option.”

David Tuitt from the council’s licensing team believes the proposed trading hours “could hinder dispersal from the area” and encourage late night revellers to “loiter”. “This could then lead to a negative impact on the promotion of the licensing objectives, in particular the prevention of crime and disorder,” he said.