Dino Pizza in Bedford Street can serve food until 3.30am to pub and club-goers on Friday and Saturday nights, Warwick District Council's licensing panel decided this week.

Residents, as well as the police and the district council's environmental health department, had raised concerns about the impact the extended opening hours would have on levels of crime in the area.

Speaking at the hearing at Leamington town hall on Tuesday, Sergeant Paul Calver, who heads the town centre's safer neighbourhoods team, said: "Police resources would be stretched even further to the detriment of other areas.

"Officers are currently brought in from Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash to police this area on Friday and Saturday nights.
"At 3am in Bedford Street there is nothing else open."

Environmental health officer Paul Briggs said: "A few individuals going home after a good night out, shouting at the top of their voices, is very disturbing to residents.

"One person going into a takeaway probably has three or four friends outside who do not go inside, so you have the noise of them as well."

Warwick district and town councillor Bill Gifford, who lives in Augusta Place, had previously said he and his wife often have to pick up half-eaten and "semi-digested" pizza, as well as litter and vomit, from their doorstep.

But Colin Charvile, a solicitor speaking on behalf of Dino's owner Mehmet Atik, claimed the extension to 3.30am would make little difference to the levels of crime and antisocial behaviour.

He said: "If people cannot buy food from Dino they only have to walk 100 yards to another takeaway.

"Refusing the application will not cause any reduction in the amount of people who loiter and it is not going to cause a reduction of people who cause noise and litter."

Mr Atik was told he must fit a radio into his premises which links to the police and install signs asking people to leave the premises quietly and dispose of their litter responsibly. He must also maintain an up-to-date CCTV system.