POLICE have joined forces with Lower Broughton residents to halt extended opening hours at a restaurant outside which a man was battered to death.

Forty-year-old Shane Eckersley suffered severe head injuries during an argument which started in the Saigon Restaurant on Lower Broughton Road on Friday, November 22 and spilled out onto the pavement. The father-of-one t died in hospital two days later.

Prior to the incident, Salford Council received an application for a special entertainments licence for the Saigon restaurant and are also dealing with complaints of pole dancing allegedly being staged at the address.

They also confirmed the owner's solicitor is trying to revoke a condition of the entertainments licence which forbids 'striptease and lewd behaviour'.

If granted permission, the restaurant would need a 'special hours certificate' from licensing magistrates, extending Monday to Saturday opening hours until 2am and Sunday 12.30am.

Police have objected to the application on the grounds it's in a residential area and five residents associations have also joined forces to kick the application out.

Sgt Carl Iceley from the licensing department at Swinton Police Station explained: "The decision to object was made before the terrible incident occurred. Our objections were based on things we believe shouldn't happen. Quite simply we don't feel premises operating until 2am should be operating in a residential area. As far as we are concerned those areas have got to be preserved. We do know the strength of feeling - that people themselves don't want it. We are there to support them."

He added: "I am well aware of all the complaints with regard to lap dancing. If there was lap dancing it would breach the current entertainments licence."

Local Cllr, Davina Miller said: "Both Cllr John Merry and myself have been working together with police. As a councillor I want to support everyone who wants a peaceful life. I think the establishment is inappropriate in a residential area, this sort of thing happens in the city centre.

"I will do what I can to make sure people don't have to put up with it. I will put objections forward, but the application depends on people coming forward and telling us about it."

A petition opposing the plans is being circulated by the Cliff Residents' Association, Albert Park Tenants' Association, Charlestown Residents' Association, R.I.T.A community organisation and Youth Leisure.

A council spokesperson said: "Entertainments licences are issued subject to a number of conditions, one of these forbids striptease and lewd behaviour. We did send out letters to premises to remind them about this condition, not just to the Saigon restaurant, and we received correspondence from their solicitor inquiring how they could go about revoking this condition. We have had reports of this sort of thing happening at the restaurant."

The Saigon restaurant's solicitors Weightman and Vizards, who are handling the applications, declined to comment.

Tweet