A high street restaurant owner has been ordered to put up signs telling customers to keep the noise down following complaints from neighbours.

Mehmet Dari, who runs A La Turka in Whitstable, was accused of breaching two licensing objectives set by Canterbury City Council – preventing public nuisance and protecting children from harm.

Members of the authority’s licensing sub-committee met yesterday and heard representations from both the business and neighbours.

It resulted in Mr Dari, who did not attend the meeting, being ordered by councillors to affix signs at the entrance to the venue and in the outdoor area urging patrons to leave quietly and respect those living nearby.

A group of neighbours had submitted their concerns to the city council – but insisted at the hearing that it was never their intention for A La Turka to be stripped of its licence.

Sue Newman, who lives near A La Turka, told how she has been disturbed on a daily basis by a “variety of noises”.

“To many, these noise complaints may seem trivial especially as I live close to a busy high street,” she said.

“However, this particular neighbourhood is exceptionally quiet.

“There is virtually no ambient noise so any noise large or small is disturbing, especially at night.

“Such is the impact on my health and wellbeing, I have spent £2,000 on secondary glazing to mitigate this nuisance.”

Mrs Newman says the “trundling” noises from the bins make her “very tense” and it impacts her sleep.

But she stresses it has never been the residents’ ambition to close the restaurant.

Another neighbour, Mick Steward, told the hearing at The Guildhall in Canterbury: “I would like to record our dissatisfaction that Mr Dari is absent.

“It was the same circumstances when the licence was granted on February 23, 2022, and it is another opportunity missed for us to question the licence holder.”

It was soon after confirmed Mr Dari is in Turkey visiting his father, who is seriously ill in hospital.

Mr Steward addressed claims made by the restaurant’s branch manager that staff had received abuse.

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

In a report prepared for the sub-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.”

Mr Steward denied these claims on behalf of the neighbours.

“If I felt racism played any part in any of these representations, as a gay man who has himself been subject to much abuse many years ago, I would not be speaking on my or their behalf,” he said.

“If there is any suggestion of racism, it is completely false.”

There were calls to change the time the rear garden has to shut from 10pm to 9pm.

But Mr Dari’s representative said 9pm “is a nightmare for a business to close”.

“It means people have to be sat down at 7.30pm, which puts a burden on it,” he told councillors.

Licensing sub-committee chair Cllr Mike Bland said he wants to encourage cooperation between neighbours and the restaurant, and was confident that could happen.

“What we heard in the meeting was quite welcome,” he said.

“There was a developing spirit of good neighbourliness that was being talked about.

“What this committee wants to do is encourage more of that.”

Mr Bland said the committee was minded to only amend one of the current licence conditions, in respect of signage.

“We have not decided on modifying any other conditions as we want to encourage the good neighbourliness that has been expressed on both sides,” he said.

“Signage shall be affixed to the wall at the entrance of the premises and on both sides of the outdoor area asking customers to leave quietly and to respect neighbours and nearby residents.”

Mr Dari previously told KentOnline that neighbours had no right to complain about noise because they already live near a busy road.

He said he had tried to work with residents – something they disputed – but claimed they were pushing for him not to use the garden.

“I think it is unfair how they are treating us,” he said, referring to both his neighbours and the council.

“We have spent a huge amount of money on the property to make it nice and bring it back to life.

“We pay up to £30,000 in business rates.

“Our neighbours are living behind but they should accept they are near a high street.

“We have not done anything bad, like clubbing, partying or discoing.”

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.