A RYDE restaurant has had its hours drastically pegged back, after police raised concerns about after-hours alcohol sales and public disorder.
Hong Kong Express, at Ryde Esplanade, was previously permitted to serve alcohol until 4am every day, although sales after 1am were restricted to customers who were also purchasing food.
But the Isle of Wight Council's licensing committee ruled today (Tuesday) that alcohol could only be served until midnight.
The opening hours have also been reduced, from 5am to 3.30am.
After 1am, only ten customers will be allowed in the restaurant at any one time, and a queuing system to manage this must be submitted to and agreed by the licensing authority with 21 days.
The number of door supervisors will remain a decision for the licence holder.
Police had called for the restaurant's licence to be reviewed to prevent crime, disorder and public nuisance. They had asked for alcohol sales to be reduced to 1am, but the committee agreed a cut-off time of midnight was necessary.
A review application, submitted by police, stated Hong Kong Express was located in an area plagued by high levels of alcohol-related disorder — 380 incidents have been recorded at Ryde Esplanade during the past 12 months — although there had been relatively few incidents at the actual restaurant.
However, plain clothes police had been served alcohol after 1am, in breach of the licence conditions, on three separate occasions.
The application stated: "Hong Kong Express tends to attract a steady stream of customers throughout the night at weekends. Typically, customers have been drinking heavily elsewhere beforehand.
"Patrolling police officers have raised concerns about the drunkenness of some customers seen in the premises."