Neighbours of a Turkish restaurant have been branded “hostile and aggressive” after allegedly making “racial comments” to staff.

Businessman Mehmet Dari launched A La Turka inside the former Jobcentre in Whitstable in late 2022 amid opposition from nearby residents.

But the restaurateur has been accused of breaching two of the four licensing objectives set by Canterbury City Council – preventing public nuisance and protecting children from harm.

Neighbours claim their peace is being disturbed by the use of a back gate for taking out bins and deliveries, as well as the garden being used after its licensed hours.

A group of them have joined forces and submitted their concerns to the local authority.

But the manager of the Whitstable branch has hit back at residents in an explosive exchange published in a city council report ahead of a licence review on Wednesday.

Maddie Soava, who describes herself as an Italian citizen, claims her team has been “harassed numerous times by racial comments” at the high street restaurant.

“It makes me a little sad to still have to read comments that have been addressed to us and our team by the hostile and aggressive neighbours,” she said.

She says her team has been “harassed since day one” by a small group of those living nearby.

Referring to the report prepared for next week’s licensing committee, she said: “I have not spotted anything about our neighbours and their anger issues, excusing themselves for shouting, taking pictures of our team for no reason or accusing them of not speaking English or not understanding English.

“I have CCTV footage of one of the neighbours coming in and asking one of my British colleagues if she speaks any English.

“The team has been harassed numerous times by racial comments and this has to be said and also stopped.”

Ms Soava, who has lived in the UK since 2011, claims tape with ‘do not cross’ written on it was put around the back courtyard by a neighbour. This followed complaints that workers were using a strip of land between homes and the restaurant to take out the bins.

She adds she has travelled a lot and worked mostly in the hospitality industry but has “never seen anything like this”.

“Every time in the morning when I drive towards work I always have a sad feeling when I enter Regent Street,” she writes.

“I am constantly reminding myself the neighbours must hate us and are probably peering through the window to quickly come and shout or bang loudly on our windows.

“It is not a feeling I enjoy and I do not feel welcomed.”

Her comments were in response to a letter by resident Michael Steward, addressed to Mr Dari.

Mr Steward claims there is activity in the garden space after 10pm, which must be closed off at this time according to licensing conditions.

“Each movement triggers the bright security lights and together with smoking and often talking loudly is unpleasant and disturbing, especially to those whose bedrooms are so close to this unwanted intrusion,” he said.

Mr Steward says large bins, which are often overloaded, are dragged through the back gate along a section of land between homes and the back of the high street business.

“Rubbish in black bin bags is carried through the garden, sorted and noisily dumped in the commercial bins right by residents' homes,” he added. “Bottle noise is often heard.”

There are separate concerns about noise from a flue that emits smoke, but this is related to an ongoing planning application.

But Ms Soava says there is “minimal noise” and sacks have been put outside “very rarely” after 10pm as staff are careful not to “create disturbances or distress”.

“The use of the garden has never been a late one and for that, I would invite anyone to sit with me and look through CCTV footage together as proof this has not been the case,” she added.

“No tables have been sat outside after 8pm.

“After 9.30pm, all tables have been moved inside to contain the noise level for our neighbours.”

Other concerns raised by residents include security lights being triggered late at night and lights from the restaurant being “very twinkly”.

But Ms Soava says there are no lights outside apart from some table lamps.

“We had some fairy lights but I stopped using them for the neighbours to stop shouting through their windows at us and customers,” she said.

She says the emergency light at the back of the garden can be triggered by a cat, for example.

“We have to have one and it is a little pathetic to complain about that as it is enclosed by the gate, bins shed and shed,” she added.

“I live on a main road that is constantly lit at night and for that I use curtains.

“I am sure this light is not going off all night.”

Mr Dari's proposals to expand the former Jobcentre, by constructing an outdoor dining area, were met with opposition from residents who feared it would spark an increase in noise and a loss of privacy.

Concerns were also raised about the area getting another establishment selling alcohol, despite there already being a number nearby.

But Mr Dari – who has branches in Canterbury, Herne Bay and Ramsgate – was given the go-ahead and opened in December 2022.

Last month, he claimed neighbours have no right to complain about noise because they already live near a busy road.

Mr Dari says he has tried to work with residents – something they dispute – but claims they are pushing for him not to use the garden.

He denies he has breached any of the licensing objectives or any conditions set by the council.

A virtual licence review hearing was opened on December 20 and adjourned until Wednesday for the hearing to proceed in person at the Guildhall.