Slough restaurant premises licence suspended after repeated breaches

Slough councillors have suspended the premises licence of a restaurant after repeated breaches of its conditions and a ‘complete disregard for the law and authority’.

LA Study Pub, a bar and restaurant which serves Romanian cuisine in Slough High Street, was visited by Thames Valley Police in April this year, when officers saw people playing poker at the back of the premises.

A number of other routine checks followed throughout the year, where numerous breaches of licensing conditions were observed.

These included no door staff working at the premises at weekends, no personal licence holder being present on site, and the garden furniture being left outside instead of being taken inside after 10pm every night.

The licence holder is required to be on site from 5pm until closing time every day.

Thames Valley Police subsequently submitted a review of the licensing application for LA Study Pub in October.

Officers believed two licensing objectives –  public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder –  were being undermined.

Premises licences are required for businesses to sell alcohol, provide public entertainment, or serve food and drink late at night.

The conditions of such a licence include ensuring public safety, preventing public nuisance and crime and disorder, and protecting children.

Felix Calin has been the premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor of LA Study Pub since January this year.

Before the review of the licensing application was submitted, a licensing meeting with Mr Calin to discuss the breaches was arranged in June, where he was issued with a police warning to adhere to all licensing objectives.

Mr Calin failed to attend two other licensing meetings in September and October before a meeting was held on October 15, where he was informed that police were applying for a review of the licence, and he was again reminded to adhere to the conditions.

But just two days later, police officers visited the business and found gambling and smoking taking place inside, as well as no door staff on site.

Mr Calin was present at the pub, but he told officers that he was a cleaner.

In November, police also received intelligence about illegal gambling in the back room, involving ‘large amounts of money’.

At a Slough Council Licensing Sub-Committee meeting yesterday (December 8), a statement read on behalf of Debie Pearmain, the Thames Valley police licensing officer, said Mr Calin had a ‘complete disregard for the law and authority’.

Ms Pearmain said: “He has left me with no choice. …We have tried to work with [Mr Calin], but it has become clear that Felix does not want to take our advice or work with us.

“Thames Valley Police believe that [Mr Calin] has complete disregard for the law and authority and should be removed from the premises licence with immediate effect.”

She added that he has failed to follow licensing conditions, and to have these continuous breaches of the licence is ‘somewhat concerning’.

Councillor Dhruv Tomar (Con, Slough Central) wanted to know if any fines had been issued after the licensing objectives were undermined. No such fines were given.

Councillors ultimately decided to remove Mr Calin as the premises licence holder and to suspend the licence of the restaurant for three months until a new licence holder is hired.

A ‘yellow card’ has also been issued for the business for the next 12 months as a warning that if licensing objectives are breached again, the licence could be revoked altogether.