Hackney Council has refused a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for Bar A Bar, citing police concerns over alleged breaches of licensing hours and ongoing investigations.
The decision was made by Hackney Council's Licensing Sub-Committee B on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following objections from the Metropolitan Police. The police objected to the TEN, which was intended for an event on August 15-16, 2026, on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder, public safety, and preventing public nuisance.
Police Constable Lucy Warrell informed the committee that an investigation was underway into allegations that Bar A Bar had been operating beyond its licensed hours. Specifically, an incident on July 29, 2026, involved individuals leaving the premises after midnight, when they should have been closed at midnight. PC Warrell also noted that CCTV footage submitted by the applicant was unclear and unusable as evidence, as it did not display the date or time.
Beyond the general licensing objectives, the police's objection to the TEN was based on these ongoing investigations, concerns about the overall management of the venue, and the unusable CCTV footage. PC Warrell expressed a lack of confidence in the management
due to a couple of years worth of bits and bobs that haven't amounted to anything significant.
Furthermore, the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) was not present at the hearing, with communication primarily being through Mr. Polos.
Kyriakos Polos Polos, representing Bar A Bar, argued that the police's objections were based on assumptions and that the submitted video evidence did not support their claims. He highlighted the venue's positive track record with previous TENs, stating that the police had approved seven TENs for eight events this year without any issues. Over the last five years, he added, ninety-six tens back to back have been submitted and approved by the police
without any problems.
However, the committee ultimately decided to issue a counter notice, refusing the TEN. The police indicated that their investigation would continue and that further suitable CCTV footage, which is clearer footage with date, with time,
would be required. The meeting minutes do not explicitly state the potential consequences for Bar A Bar if the ongoing investigation confirms the alleged breaches of licensing hours, but the police stated that they won't be approving any temporary event notices because naturally, risk and various other things come into play
while the investigation is ongoing. This decision was made in accordance with the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, public safety, and preventing public nuisance, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
