A Turkish restaurant in Central London has lost its license to sell alcohol after a police inquiry revealed multiple violations of licensing regulations. The establishment, known as Food Works Turkish Kitchen, was implicated in an incident where a homeless man was reportedly assaulted with his own crutch on Strutton Ground, Westminster, around 7:15 PM on February 17.
The Westminster City Council Licensing Sub-Committee convened on April 9 to address the situation, ultimately deciding to revoke the restaurant’s alcohol license due to the breaches identified during the investigation. The venue was found to have failed in several areas, including the inability to provide operational CCTV footage.
According to the sub-committee, the victim of the alleged assault sustained injuries classified as grievous bodily harm and required hospitalization. Although no arrests have been made in connection with the incident, the police investigation is ongoing. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service stated, „Police are investigating reports of an assault on Strutton Ground, near Victoria Street, at around 19:15hrs on Tuesday, 17 February. No arrests have been made at this time and our enquiries continue.“ Legal counsel for the police, James Rankin, indicated that a second suspect has yet to be identified.
Restaurant’s Response and Future Plans
During the hearing, Goksel Akcadag, an employee at Food Works Turkish Kitchen, made an emotional appeal to the sub-committee, urging them to allow the restaurant to retain its license. He expressed his commitment to the business, stating, „This is my business. This is my whole life. I pay my mortgage and I pay my bills – how can I lose my business?“
However, police expressed concerns regarding Mr. Akcadag’s conduct during a prior visit to the restaurant following the alleged incident. Legal representative Robert Sutherland informed the sub-committee that the current license holder would be stepping back from daily operations due to the ongoing criminal investigation and the identified licensing breaches. He noted that Akcadag’s business partner, Kalender Akcadag, was willing to obtain a personal license while Goksel Akcadag underwent the necessary training.
A previous attempt to transfer the license to another individual was withdrawn during the hearing after it was revealed that the individual had misrepresented their involvement to the police, claiming they were merely „helping [their] friend out.“ The legal counsel for the venue clarified that there was no intention to mislead authorities with the application.
Licensing Violations and Police Actions
An interim suspension, which was decided at an earlier summary hearing, will remain in effect until any appeals are resolved. The sub-committee considered imposing a suspension with additional conditions but ultimately determined that this would not fulfill the necessary licensing objectives.
The Metropolitan Police initiated a summary license review of the restaurant on March 13, after being informed of the alleged incident in early March. Police Licensing Officers visited Food Works and requested to review the CCTV footage, only to be told that the system was non-functional. However, it was later discovered that the CCTV was operational, and the venue failed to provide footage from the time of the alleged assault.
Officers were informed that the CCTV system was faulty, yet there was no evidence of any scheduled repairs or documentation of the malfunction. Local council CCTV footage was subsequently located by a police officer, which captured the incident in question.
During a visit on March 4, Westminster City Council Licensing Officers identified a series of violations at the restaurant. Following a thorough inspection the next day, the license holder was emailed a list of these breaches and given a week to rectify them. A follow-up visit on March 13 revealed that even basic remedial actions had not been taken.
The identified breaches included:
- Operating without functional CCTV equipment while selling alcohol
- Inadequate installation and maintenance of CCTV
- Lack of a staff member trained in CCTV operations present at all times
- Failure to maintain a proper incident log
During the hearing, it was noted that the license holder had expressed a desire to have legal representation earlier in the proceedings but could not afford it. Additionally, it was mentioned that Food Works frequently provides free meals to the local community. While the restaurant can continue its operations, it is prohibited from selling alcohol.
For further inquiries, please contact katherine.gray@reachplc.com. For more updates from London, consider subscribing to our daily newsletters.
Bildquelle: Foto von Georg Eiermann auf Unsplash
