Turkish Restaurant in Westminster Loses Alcohol Licence Following Assault Investigation
A Turkish restaurant in Central London has been stripped of its alcohol licence after a police investigation into an alleged assault on a homeless man uncovered serious breaches of licensing conditions. Food Works Turkish Kitchen on Strutton Ground in Westminster will no longer be permitted to sell alcohol on its premises following a decisive ruling by the Westminster City Council Licensing Sub-Committee.
Violent Incident and Police Investigation
The Metropolitan Police Service is actively investigating an incident that occurred at approximately 7:15 PM on February 17, where a homeless man was allegedly beaten with his own crutch at the restaurant premises. The victim sustained injuries classified as grievous bodily harm (GBH) level and required hospital treatment. No arrests have been made in connection with the alleged assault, but police enquiries continue.
Police legal counsel James Rankin informed the sub-committee that a second suspect in the investigation remains unidentified. The police investigation revealed that the restaurant failed to produce CCTV footage of the alleged incident, despite initially claiming their system was broken. Officers later discovered this was not true and were able to obtain footage from local council CCTV cameras showing the incident taking place.
Multiple Licensing Breaches Uncovered
Westminster City Council Licensing Officers identified a series of serious breaches during inspections of the premises. On March 4, officers conducted an initial visit and found multiple violations. Following a full inspection the next day, the licence holder was emailed a detailed list of breaches and given seven days to resolve them.
During a follow-up visit on March 13, an officer discovered that "even the simplest of remedial actions had not been done." The breached conditions included:
- Selling alcohol while CCTV equipment was inoperative
- Failing to install and maintain adequate CCTV systems
- Not ensuring a staff member conversant in CCTV operations was present at all times
- Failing to properly maintain an incident log
Restaurant's Defence and Committee Decision
Goksel Akcadag, an employee at Food Works Turkish Kitchen, pleaded with the sub-committee to allow the venue to retain its licence. "This is my business. This is my whole life. I pay my mortgage and I pay my bills - how can I lose my business?" he stated during the hearing. He expressed willingness to undergo training to become the Designated Premises Supervisor and take over from the current licence holder.
Legal counsel Robert Sutherland, representing the restaurant, informed the committee that the current licence holder would be stepping away from day-to-day operations due to the ongoing criminal investigation and licence breaches. He added that business partner Kalender Akcadag was prepared to obtain a personal licence while Mr. Goksel Akcadag underwent training.
However, police raised concerns about Mr. Akcadag's behaviour during a previous visit to the premises following the alleged incident. The committee also heard that a previous application to transfer the licence to another person had been withdrawn after it was revealed they had told police they were "just helping [their] friend out."
Final Ruling and Consequences
The Westminster City Council Licensing Sub-Committee decided to revoke the restaurant's alcohol licence entirely. While they considered imposing a suspension with additional conditions, they determined this would not achieve the desired licensing objectives. An interim suspension, decided at an earlier summary hearing, will continue until any appeal is resolved.
During the proceedings, it was noted that the licence holder had wanted legal representation earlier but couldn't afford it. The restaurant's representatives also mentioned that Food Works often provides free food to the local community. The establishment remains permitted to operate but cannot sell alcohol under the current ruling.
The Metropolitan Police Service initiated a summary licence review of the venue on March 13 after becoming aware of the alleged incident in early March. Police Licensing Officers visited Food Works and requested CCTV footage, only to be told the system was broken - a claim later proven false. Officers found no evidence of arranged repairs or records of the supposed fault.
