Restaurant was selling alcohol the day before licensing hearing, council officers say

A Sale restaurant has had its application for an alcohol licence turned down after council officials said it was found to have sold beer and wine the day before the hearing.

Trafford town hall's licensing sub-committee rejected the application after it was told alcohol had been displayed and sold on-site at Linguine, Northenden Road, despite the restaurant not having a valid licence.

The council's lead licensing enforcement officer Ben Moran told councillors beers were sold on the premises during a visit on December 3. Video evidence and Tripadvisor reviews showed there were 'recommended wines' and 'good value wine lists', the hearing was told. Hevar Hassan Abdulraheem of HJ Sale Ltd’s said only alcohol-free products were sold.

READ MORE: The best performing schools in Greater Manchester - use our gadget to find out where your child's school ranks

Ms Abdulraheem, 30, denied the allegation and presented photographs of a fridge stocked with non-alcoholic beverages. The sub-committee concluded there were concerns multiple offences under the Licensing Act may have been committed, including the unlicensed sale of alcohol.

Chair Coun Emma Hirst told Ms Abdulraheem: “I appreciate that taking on a new business in a country that is not your home country in a language that’s not your first language is really challenging. But holding a premises licence is a huge responsibility. We take note of the comments from Greater Manchester Police in that there are real dangers if alcohol is served accidentally as you have stated has happened.

“This could have huge consequences for customers. We are really concerned about the serving of alcohol and also about the staff you are employing because you are very reliant on them at the moment.