The Met Police has opposed plans to open a wine shop in an area plagued by 'anti-social behaviour, street drinking and violent incidents'.

Lloyds Local Kingston wants to open in an empty unit on Eden Street, in Kingston town centre, but its application for a booze licence has been slammed by the Met and Kingston Council's public health team.

Police sergeant Jeremy Weston, licensing officer for the Met, said Eden Street was part of a 'well-documented crime hotspot, with frequent reports of anti-social behaviour, street drinking and violent incidents'.

Sergeant Weston told the council's licensing hearing on April 22 the shop was very close to Eagle Brewery Wharf, which has been covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) since 2020, restricting noise and booze consumption, in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.  

Sergeant Weston said: "The introduction of an additional off-licence in this location would only aggravate these issues by increasing the availability of alcohol in an area already struggling with crime and ASB."

He added: "If this licence is granted, we risk seeing increased street drinking, more anti-social behaviour, greater strain on police and council resources."

Ian Madle, representing residents of Queens Reach, a nearby apartment block, called for the plans to be rejected as he said residents' lives had been plagued by anti-social behaviour at Eagle Brewery Wharf for many years.

He described the area as a magnet for crowds of teenagers who got drunk, took drugs and played loud music, which led to residents losing sleep, feeling uneasy, checking into hotels on weekends for relief and even moving out of the area.

An objection letter from Laura MacLehose, the council's acting director of public health, added: "If the licence were to be granted, I believe that the off-sales of alcohol in this locality would also encourage people who have already consumed alcohol on a night out, and whose judgement will be impaired, to purchase more alcohol on their way home."

The application, submitted by Naresh Das, would allow the shop to sell booze from 9am to 10pm on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 9am to 12am on Saturdays and Sundays, if approved.

Licensing consultant Surendra Panchal, representing Mr Das, said the shop would not cater to teenagers or street drinkers as it would be marketed as selling specialist wines. Although it would sell other alcoholic drinks, he said, it would not stock strong beers or single cans.

Mr Panchal told the hearing the shop would put in place measures to address concerns about anti-social behaviour, including employing a security guard to stand outside the venue from 12pm to closing time every day and installing extra CCTV.

He said the shop would be happy to change its closing hours, if this helped to ease any other concerns.

Mr Panchal added: "This shop has been closed since the Covid period, so it's a closed shop and it's now going to be open. It's going to be an exclusive shop in the area, which would bring the area prominence."

The council will publish its decision on the plans in the coming days.