Police have raised concerns about a peri peri chicken restaurant's bid to sell booze.

Bosses at Griller in Canterbury Street, Gillingham, have asked Medway Council if they can supply alcohol up to 11pm.

The town centre eatery serves grilled chicken and burgers.

The police wrote to the local authority to raise concerns about the presence of a shisha lounge.

PC Dan Hunt said the restaurant's proposed operating schedule would not be enough to satisfy licensing rules if alcohol was served in the lounge.

He said: "Via telephone conversation, the applicant has advised there is no intention to sell or consume alcohol in the restaurant area to the front of the premises.

"The intention is to only sell alcohol within the shisha lounge.

"Kent Police are concerned therefore that the nature of the business being licensed is somewhat different to first thought..."

"Whilst there may have been no intention to do so, the application appears somewhat misleading in that it would appear the intention is to operate as a bar and shisha lounge, not as a peri peri chicken restaurant as described.

"Kent Police are concerned therefore that the nature of the business being licensed is somewhat different to first thought."

PC Hunt suggested the application could be improved if the eatery committed to only allowing people to buy alcohol if they were sat at a table with a meal.

The plans will be discussed during a meeting of the council's licensing hearing panel on Tuesday next week.

A debate will also be held over plans to allow a takeaway to run an alcohol delivery service.

The application by Famous Pizza in Luton Road, Chatham, also attracted objections from police, which argued the bid does not take into account the prevalence of crime in the area and how alcohol may contribute to this.

A previous meeting to consider the licence on December 21 was adjourned because the applicant's agent tested positive for Covid.