An Ilford chicken shop whose staff were attacked by youths and pelted with bottles of ketchup last summer is seeking to extend its opening hours to 3am.

Redbridge Council’s licensing committee is set to decide on a application to extend the opening hours of Ilford Hill’s Chicken Hut on Thursday, April 4.

Police are calling on the committee to reject the application citing previous incidents and a prevalence of drug dealing and child sexual exploitation in the area around Ilford Station.

“There is a likelihood that the venue will at some point attract those persons with a criminal intent who are known to frequent the area” reads the representation from PC Oisin Daly.

He adds: “There is a marked difference between trading until 11pm and 3am,” Pc Daly adds.

“The dynamics of the area around the train station change and there is a different clientele operating in the area than the one described by the applicant in their application.”

He highlighted an incident in November 2018 in which a British Transport Police officer was stabbed.

It is also where 20-year-old Che Morrison was fatally stabbed on February 26 this year.

In June 2018, police were called to a disturbance at the eatery where youths lobbed condiments at staff and attempted to punch them.

The investigation was hampered as staff could not access CCTV to hand it over to the police, saying that their manager was out of the country.

In December, a bag was reported stolen by no suspects could be identified due to the CCTV quality.

However, the shop’s Sajjad Hussain insisted that the eatery has a family friendly atmosphere in his application to the council.

“We [have] got majority of the clientele [who are] women/children, who enjoy their food in a family atmosphere and do not cause any trouble,” he writes.

He adds: “It will serve the community/late night commuters and will generate a safe late night activity to keep the area alive.” He emphasizes that the shop has a “24/7 CCTV system” covering the street in both directions.

The committee will decide on the application at Redbridge Town Hall, in High Road, at 10.30am.