New 24-hour shop approved despite violence fears

A new 24-hour convenience store in the "busiest area of Liverpool" has been given the go-ahead to open amid fears it will make life for other shop workers "less safe".

The Spar chain is planning to open the unit in a former Holland & Barrett outlet on Whitechapel in Liverpool.

Spar Central is to take over the vacant premises in the autumn after receiving the green light from Liverpool City Council's licensing and gambling sub-committee.

The decision came after a shopkeeper submitted as evidence images of his staff being attacked in a bid to convince city licensing bosses not to approve an alcohol licence for another store.

Saleh Al Hathrie, who runs Shop & Go opposite the planned Spar unit, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he had witnessed people being "aggressive", regularly saw a number of street drinkers in Whitechapel, and feared the problem would be made worse.

Images obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service from Mr Al Hathrie's shop show how a worker was targeted by a member of the public in the business in June.

The customer appears to throw a punch and attempts to grab the face of the person working behind the counter inside.

Ian Rushton, licensing agent on behalf of applicant Farhaan Raja, said the business was fully aware of Al Hathrie's concerns, but that Merseyside Police had not objected to the plans.

The new store will sell alcohol 24 hours a day with terms agreed with the force to ensure its beer section and all other alcohol displays will not be open to the public without staff supervision between 22:00 and 05:00 each day.

Rushton said a 15-year lease had been secured for the building and alcohol sales would represent around 15% of the firm's trade.

The licensing agent said "extremely positive dialogue" had been held with the police licensing team regarding the application and they had sought to engage with Al Hathrie.

Addressing the committee, the Shop & Go director said his concerns were not borne out of being a competitor but how his staff had been "violently assaulted and racially abused".

He told the committee how his shop operates 24 hours a day, leaving colleagues "exposed to aggression or anti-social behaviour".

He said the assault recorded on CCTV "shows the seriousness of risks for people working in this area".

Rushton said "nobody can hide from the fact there will be issues in the city centre" but said this was not a reason for the committee to reject the application.

Raja told members he had chosen to open the general store as it was the "busiest area" of the city centre.

Door staff will be used during peak periods, Rushton confirmed.

He said Raja was formerly Security Industry Authority registered.

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