A restaurant and takeaway has been caught trading outside of its opening hours. Zaf’ron, in Brighton's North Road, has applied for a late-night refreshment licence so that it can trade until 3am seven days a week. The application follows licensing visits by Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council when the business , Zaf’ron, was found to have been trading later than it should have been.
Both the council and police have objected to the application and Inspector Dan Eagle wrote: “Sussex Police have no confidence in the company applying for this premises licence.” His formal objection reflects an email sent last November by police licensing officer Mark Thorogood after the Afghani and Persian restaurant was caught trading after 11pm without a licence. The email said: “When we spoke to you about this, you advised that it had been a busy night and you were not aware of the time and tried to make out this is the first time this has happened.
“We then pointed out the opening hours on your paper menus and on the Just Eat app which stated you are open until midnight seven days a week. “We have since also noticed this is the same on Google and Facebook which leads us to believe you have not been totally truthful with us about this being a one-off.” On August 8, Mr Thorogood wrote to Zaf’ron’s director Rafiullah Khan, 20, of Chelwood Close, Hollingbury, after another licensing inspection at 11.
50pm on Saturday 3 August. He said: “On approaching the premise.