Headingley takeaway fine does not go far enough says local councillor

12.00.00am GMT Mon 5th Feb 2007

Councillor James Monaghan has expressed his disappointment at a court verdict involving a well-known Headingley takeaway. The owner of Gangsters on North Lane was recently found guilty of 11 charges of breaching his operating licence. The owner pleaded guilty on all counts and received a £1,000 fine.

Councillor James Monaghan said, "Both my ward colleagues and I were hoping for a tougher sentence than the one given. I'm sure the owner will be relieved that the sum was comparatively small and that he can continue trading, despite eleven breaches of his licence.

"I am concerned that whilst the government is talking about cracking down on licence breaches, the council is not being given adequate backing by the courts. This is not the message we want to be sending out to rogue takeaway owners."

In light of cases like this, Headingley residents are being given the opportunity to provide evidence on the problems caused by takeaways in their area. This evidence will be used to assess whether a cumulative impact policy on late night eateries should be introduced in Headingley, with a view to restricting the development of more takeaways and their late opening.

Councillor Monaghan added, "We would like residents who have been affected by late night refreshment establishments to contact Kate Sibson at the North West Area Management Team to request a questionnaire to provide detailed evidence of the issues that have arisen."