Fast food shop licence suspended for rule breaches

Betsy's X Little Dessert Shop in Lichfield repeatedly breached its licence conditions over a four-month period, according to council bosses

A fast food restaurant has had its licence suspended after 23:00 after repeatedly operating outside of its permitted hours, a council says.

Lichfield District Council said officers had visited Betsy's X Little Dessert Shop in Bore Street in the city in Staffordshire over a four-month period and found continued breaches of its licence conditions despite verbal and written warnings during that time.

In May, the premises was raided by licensing officers and immigration officers who found eight members of staff living at the premises.

Following a hearing on Monday, the venue's licence was suspended for two months.

It means the premises will not be allowed to supply hot food and drink after 23:00 each day, which the licence had previously permitted them to do on Friday and Saturday nights until 02:00.

Officers said they had no confidence in the management of the premises and had requested that the licence be revoked.

The authority said that due to the significant threat from fire and overcrowding, environmental health officers had needed to serve an emergency prohibition order to require the people found living there to leave.

After representations made by Duncan Craig, a barrister acting on behalf of the business, the council's licensing panel decided to suspend the licence, council bosses said.

They added officers would monitor the premises and follow up on immigration and modern slavery concerns.