The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Thursday 2 July 2026 to consider an application to vary the premises licence for Jay Food and Wine. The committee decided to refuse the application for extended hours but approved modifications to the licence conditions.

Variation of Premises Licence for Jay Food and Wine

The committee considered an application from Alagathurai Vijeyakanthan, the owner of Jay Food and Wine at 123A, Broad Street, Dagenham¹, to extend the sale of alcohol hours from 8am to midnight, Monday to Sunday, and to extend the premises' opening hours from 7am to 1am daily.

Representations against the application were received from the Metropolitan Police, the Council's Licensing Department, and the Council's Trading Standards Department.

Metropolitan Police Representation: PC Owen Dunn, Police Licensing Officer, objected to the extended hours, citing concerns about the applicant's ability to adhere to current licence conditions and hours. He highlighted an incident on 2 June 2026 where officers found the premises open and selling alcohol beyond permitted hours. The police also noted issues with the CCTV system and a lack of understanding of licensing objectives among staff. The police requested that the application for extended hours be refused, but that enhanced conditions, as proposed by the police, be imposed on the licence.

Licensing Department Representation: The Council's Licensing Department supported the police representation, raising concerns about the premises' management and compliance with existing licence conditions. They noted evidence of the premises operating beyond permitted hours, a prolonged failure to maintain the CCTV system, inadequate staff training, and poor management oversight. They also highlighted serious concerns raised by Trading Standards. The department requested that the additional hours be refused and that the conditions proposed by the police be imposed.

Trading Standards Representation: Nazir Ali, Service Manager for Trading Standards, objected to the application due to concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm. He presented evidence of illicit tobacco sales, including a test purchase on 4 June 2026 where a packet of 20 illicit cigarettes was bought for £7. Trading Standards also discovered an open packet of illicit tobacco during an inspection on 13 June, suggesting the sale of single illicit cigarettes, which is banned. Additionally, a 14-year-old test purchaser had successfully bought a vaping product on 19 February 2026, indicating a failure in age verification procedures. Mr Ali stated that these incidents demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance and a disregard for the law.

Applicant's Response: Alagathurai Vijeyakanthan, the applicant, stated that he had provided training to his staff and had taken measures to ensure the CCTV system was functional. He explained that the extended hours were sought because neighbouring businesses, such as Nisa Local and a local pub, already operated later hours. He also detailed issues with a faulty CCTV system due to a water leak, which had been difficult to repair due to the engineer's absence.

Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to refuse the variation application in respect of the additional hours requested. However, they agreed to modify the licence conditions. The committee adopted the conditions proposed by the police, along with additional conditions from the model conditions. These included:

• Single cans and bottles are not to be sold within the premises.
• Staff training must be undertaken, with details of the required content and six-monthly continuation training.
• Alcohol supplies must come from sellers approved by HMRC, and no alcohol goods should be accepted from door-to-door sellers.

The committee also recommended that the applicant seek training from a reputable third-party provider to improve understanding of licensing objectives and staff training.