The ugly scenes that often erupt at takeaways after pubs close across Britain has been captured on a police officer’s bodycam.
In video later used as evidence to revoke a Gloucester takeaway’s late licence crowds of men can be seen fighting inside Zam Zam Pizza and Fried Chicken before officers use Pave spray - similar to tear gas - to prevent further disorder.
The footage was taken at 3.51am on Sunday July 17, almost forty minutes after the takeaway was supposed to have shut, and was shown to Gloucester City Council’s licensing committee on Tuesday.
The takeaway had unsuccessfully sought to extend its weekend licence until 5am.
Gloucestershire Live quoted licensing officer PC Mark Mansfield as saying the footage was a “mild example of what we sometimes encounter around club closing time in the early hours of the weekend in Eastgate Street – young men and women who are very drunk, abusive and threatening”.
Mansfield said one of the reasons police opposed the takeaway extending its hours was because incidents, like those seen in the video, affects police’s “ability to attend other incidents”.