A Wealdstone convenience store will have to wait to see if its attempts to gain a 24-hour alcohol sale licence have been successful after the decision was deferred.

MIR Food Centre, formerly known as Londis, on High Street currently has a licence to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm, seven days a week.

Due to the report not being completed and cleared in time for Tuesday night’s meeting of Harrow Borough Council’s licensing panel, the decision was deferred. However members were requested to consider the report “as a matter of urgency” in order to determine the application in a “reasonable timescale”.

MIR Food Centre is located in an area which currently has restrictions on alcohol consumption. This does not make the consumption of alcohol in public spaces illegal, but creates an offence of failing to surrender containers of alcohol when requested to by a police officer.

Street drinking is an issue in the locality, according to dedicated ward officer PC Dipesh Raithatha.

In his written representations to the licensing panel, PC Raithatha said he had personally investigated a number of crimes in the area where alcohol had been the catalyst.

“The Marlborough/Wealdstone area is well known for street drinkers as well as drugs,” he said.

“We are already working hard to ensure this activity is restricted, and adding another 24-hour off-licence to the area will only hinder our progress.”  

He said a number of stores were willing to sell alcohol to inebriated drinkers, and said he believed granting a 24-hour licence to another premises would have a detrimental effect on the local community.

He added: “I strongly object to the licence being issued. We do not have the policing resources to monitor the sale of 24-hour alcohol, and the effects this will cause.”

There are several stores in Wealdstone which have extended hours for alcohol sales but none which currently have 24-hour licences.