A husband and wife team have reapplied for permission to serve food until 4am from their Chelmsford kebab van, just five months after their last failed attempt.

Temel and Jennifer Bahsi  have been operating Doner Zamani in Backnang Square outside the Meadows Shopping Centre since December 12, 2018.

They promised they would install CCTV and employ two security staff, but Essex Police have again objected to their application over concerns about crime.

They add that under data protection legislation, only head and shoulders views when customers are at the counter could be captured and that to gather data of persons within the public space who are unconnected with the business would be unlawful and subject of a GDPR policy

The couple, whose last application to open until 4am was rejected by Chelmsford City Council in March, currently have permission to sell kebabs, rice, burgers and other market food until 11pm.

However undeterred the couple are back on Wednesday for another attempt in convincing councillors to accept their application to allow trade on Wednesdays between 11pm and 3am, on Fridays between midnight and 4am and on Saturdays between midnight and 4am.

They initially had grand ideas of putting in a kiosk, however they would have needed planning permission in order to develop the site how they wished and instead opted for the current van with wheels.

In a statement to Chelmsford City Council they said: “We are a catering trailer offering authentic Turkish food, we wold like the premises licence so that we can serve the public on evenings as well as days. We will be offering fresh wholesome foods to people on  their way out or on their way home.

“We also think it will benefit customers leaving the bars and pubs situated near us by eating on their home as it will sober them up.

“We will not be serving alcoholic refreshments at our premises and will have two security industry authority qualified door staff to make sure any trouble is prevented.

“We will also install a CCTV system within  our premises to keep track of every going on which will be visible to the customers. This will enable a safe and friendly environment for everyone to enjoy at the end of their night.”

Essex Police have added that as a public place, door staff would be ineffective in that they have limited powers of detention and would have no powers to eject and search.

In  a statement they added: “Essentially research shows that the chosen location is an identified night time economy hotspot for crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour and public nuisance due to the number of licensed premises within the immediate area.

“Most licensed premises remain open of a weekend in this location until around 4am and recorded crime in this area has exceeded more than 100 reports over a 12 month period with a concerning number associated with violence and sexual offences.

“It is well established that late night refreshment venues tend to act as a hotspot for crime and disorder and that in allowing this application would only extend this period and cause such behaviour to continue.”

The police statement said the objective should be to encourage revellers to leave the city as soon as possible.

“Late night refreshments are available elsewhere in the city throughout the night, but under conditions where customers are contained within premises and can be controlled by the provision of door staff who have the correct public insurance, a lawful CCTV system and supported by various policies,” added the statement.

“Given that this application relates to a catering trailer in an area that is open and in a public place, no such safeguards could be offered or sought.

“Essex Police therefore have a duty to ensure that applications of this nature do not adversely impact on the community in respect of crime and disorder, public safety and nuisance and therefore feel that given the data around these issues have no alternative other than raise their concerns and objections.”