Customers defend Canonbury shop as it faces Islington Council rap
The licensing review is to be heard at Islington Town Hall on Wednesday - Credit: Archant
Police have urged Islington Council to revoke a Canonbury convenience store’s licence - but customers have leapt to its defence.
The council has called a review of Mediterranean Food Centre, in St Paul’s Road on the edge of the Marquess Estate.
It comes after the seizure of non-UK duty paid alcohol in December. Officers seized 90 litres of nine spirit brands. The duty would have been £981.
The officers have also criticised owner Cagri Kirdag for “not managing the business well”: the store had been caught selling alcohol to underage volunteers during council test purchases.
The store will go before a town hall Licensing Sub Committee meeting on Wednesday, and the council licensing office has called for a suspension of the licence - despite admitting that Mr Kirdag’s management was “much improved” since the seizure in December.
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Islington Police added: “Mr Kirdag isn’t promoting the licensing objectives the way in which we would require. The standards of management are far from the levels we would expect. We have no hesitation in recommending that the licence is revoked for a period of time.
But in the report, 10 customers defended the store, all saying they never been offered illegal alcohol.
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One said: “This shop is my local which I visit on numerous occasions through the week. I can honestly say I have never bought or been offered goods that were duty free. The shop has been honest as far as I’m concerned.”
Wednesday’s meeting is set to start at 6.30pm.
