A TAKEAWAY has lost a bid to open to the early hours of the morning to serve food for people turning out of four nearby pubs after residents branded it "intolerable".

Thurrock Council's licensing sub committee refused a late night opening bid by Efe's Restaurant and Takeaway in The Precinct, High Street, Stanford-le-Hope after Essex Police and eight residents objected.

The restaurant, beneath flats, applied to serve late night refreshments to 12.30am Monday to Thursday and to 2.30am on Friday and Saturday. At a hearing on Tuesday, the agent for the applicant, Ibrahim Akyel, offered to reduce the closing hours to midnight Monday to Thursday and 1am on Friday and Saturday, with a Sunday closure at 10.30pm.

Speaking to the committee, Simon Barnes, Essex Police licensing officer for Brentwood and Thurrock, said: "The problem with any late night opening, particularly on Friday and Saturday night is that it will draw the pub goers from the four licensed premises in the town, Inn on the Green, Rising Sun, Railway Tavern and The Courthouse which make up the town's four pubs.

"When they are letting out around 1am to 2am they naturally going to seek out food and unfortunately that does lead to a level of disorder on the High Street when alcohol plus air and a queue can create some issues.

"Conditions need to be put in place that when they reach those location it is managed and maintained particularly with that late hour."

Residents who attended the meeting raised concerns about tables and chairs outside the premises until 2.30am close to a residential area.

One unnamed resident said: "There are flats above the shops and flats and houses opposite in very close proximity.

"When it was operating as a café it used to close at 5pm and serving traditional fare with no takeaway whatsoever.

"That fitted in with the local community. When you open that to 2.30am, past the pubs' chucking out, it's going to be open to a whole load of different vibes. You've also got the takeaway service with delivery vans front and back. It will be intolerable for the local residents with young families and shift workers."

The committee heard an extractor vents directly beneath the flats could also cause noise and fumes.

The applicant said a new quiet extractor could be installed.

However, after a short adjournment, the committee refused the application.