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La Roma café, ‘a poisoned chalice’ |
Police shut ‘den of thieves’ restaurant
Court told of trade in stolen goods as judge sympathises with plight facing new owner
POLICE have used new powers for the second time only to shut a family restaurant in Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, which had become a “den of thieves”.
Highbury magistrates agreed on Thursday to close La Roma café for the next three months because owner Noureddine Zedoud was unable to stop dealers in stolen goods from using his shop.
It follows a series of raids on shops in Blackstock Road last week (Tuesday), in the wake of reports that there has been a resurgence of crime in the area and a growing number of complaints that women are too frightened to walk down the road for fear of sexual harassment.
Until now, police had to prove a connection with drugs before the courts would allow them to shut problem businesses.
But under a new provision of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act (2003), they now need only to prove the business is associated with anti-social behaviour and nuisance.
District Judge Ian Baker was told how Mr Zedoud – a former head chef at the Conrad Hotel, Chelsea Harbour – took over La Roma in June.
Police presented the court with a dossier describing La Roma’s connection with stolen goods, which predates Mr Zedoud’s ownership.
Among the list of complaints, the document described how a group of youths who steal on the buses meet up at La Roma in the evenings; how a man, arrested outside the café for handling a stolen phone last month told officers: “This is where you bring phones if you want to sell them”; and how a number of stolen laptops had been traded in the cafe.
Sergeant Rob O’Connor, of Highbury West Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), asked the court to grant the closure to give police time to help Mr Zedoud redesign his café and put in measures to prevent further problems.
He said: “We all know it’s not him who caused this. Unfortunately, the way he’s run his premises, these people are taking advantage of him.”
Mr Zedoud said: “If they close my shop, how can I work? Give me a chance. I know La Roma had a bad reputation.
“I was a head chef. I had lots of stress so I decided to take a small business. I’ve a daughter, she’s six months old. I came to La Roma to make it for families, because nobody can bring their wife to Blackstock Road.”
He added: “All the time I’m fighting, arguing with people, telling them you can’t sell here.
“I’ll start employing new people and do anything the officers say. I’ll design it more open. It’s not a good time to close my shop. It’s been closed for two days now, it’s a lot of money. I’m a beginner.”
District Judge Ian Baker said he had “considerable sympathy” for Mr Zedoud, who had inherited a “poisoned chalice”.
But, granting the three-month closure, the judge added: “While he may be in the kitchen, he has a duty to ensure the business isn’t being used as a den of thieves.”
Up to 1,000 police stormed Blackstock Road last year, mounting Operation Mista in an attempt to smash a thriving industry in stolen mobile phones and electrical goods.
Reports of crime fell over the following six months, as officers made use of a dispersal order to move on groups of men found hanging around the street.
But officers say that, since April, groups of younger men have taken over and there has been an increase in complaints.
Speaking after the hearing, PC Graham Burke, of Highbury West SNT, said: “Operation Mista hit the organised criminal fraternity very hard and put key members in custody for considerable periods.
“However, the entire network was not completely dismantled. Younger individuals, who were not around in 2008 are responsible for the recent upsurge in crime and disorder.
“It is now clear the problem will resurface as long as there are premises that will aid the criminals to hide, store goods and conduct transactions.”
Highbury West SNT is moving to Blackstock Road in February and will share an office with Hackney Police. |
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