A village shop is to be allowed to sell late-night booze, despite the application prompting fears of antisocial behaviour.

Engarshal Sinnarasa is soon to take over Taylors, which will be renamed The Green Convenience Store, in Bearsted, and applied for a licence to open from 6am - 11pm daily, and sell alcohol in those hours.

His planning agents told Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) offering booze would to allow the business to offer the "complete all-round convenience service", and assured them it would be done in a responsible manner.

They added: “Mr Sinnarasa will do absolutely everything that he can, within his power and control, to prevent crime and disorder.”

Mr Sinnarasa already owns Bearsted News, as well as R2 Post Office and Lucky News - both in Loose.

MBC’s licensing department received two letters supporting the application, but 10 residents wrote to the local authority to object, worried it would lead to a rise in antisocial behaviour.

Mark Mills told the licensing department: “My concern is that the sale of alcohol up to such a late hour will generate a level of noise that is incongruous with the tranquillity enjoyed by the local residents.”

Ward councillor Val Springett (Con) said the request to serve alcohol until 11pm had “divided the community".

She said: “We welcome this change, the shop has been very old fashioned, very outdated for a long while, and I’m actually very enthusiastic about what you’re bringing,” she said.

“The concerns are that the late night hours will be encouraging youths to gather.

Several residents who wrote in spoke of increasing antisocial behaviour from youths in the village, including drug-taking and threats made to locals.

However, Frank Fender, a licensing consultant on behalf of Mr Sinnarasa who attended the meeting, said the fears of increased rowdiness due to the corner shop were “speculation.”

The police’s website recorded just two reports of anti-social behaviour there in December.

“There’s no evidence to suggest that crimes of this nature occur in Bearsted,” he added.

“Mr Sinnarasa has never caused any concerns for any of the authorities as a result of operating any of his licensed premises, he has an excellent track record of managing licenced premises in an extremely compliant way."

Mr Fender added it wasn't expect the shop would regularly open until 11pm.

Members of the licensing committee suggested to a condition could be added on to the licence mandating that if the premises were open and selling alcohol after 7pm, that at least two members of staff have to be working.

Mr Fender argued that such a condition would be “overkill, and not cost-effective.”

But it was agreed the measure could be put in place for alcohol sales after 9.30pm.

The licensing committe granted Mr Sinnarasa’s application on that basis.