August 4, 2020 2.59 pm This story is over 43 months old

Second Lincolnshire business faces lockdown licence loss

Police say Spalding cafe had many customers inside
Rafael's in Spalding. Photo: Google Streetview

A second Lincolnshire business faces having its licence revoked for breaching coronavirus lockdown after people were seen eating and drinking inside.

Jorge Carmezim, the designated premises supervisor at Rafael’s Coffee Shop on Westlode Street in Spalding, will appear before South Holland District Council’s licensing committee next Tuesday.

Lincolnshire Police said the premises had allowed “multiple customers on the premises consuming alcoholic drinks during the period when non-essential premises were required to be closed.”

A statement issued on behalf of Chief Constable Bill Skelly said police received a call stating Rafael’s had 20 customers inside eating, drinking and playing music on Saturday, June 20.

An officer using a body worn camera recorded “numerous” customers “sat at the bar drinking out of bottles” in the middle of the premises and in an outside seating area at the rear with “plates with remnants of food on and bottles on the tables in front of them”.

According to the evidence, when questioned, Mr Carmezim admitted he knew pubs were not allowed to be open and when asked why he is, shrugged and said: “Well I just opened for a few friends, normally I don’t open but I just opened for today and people were coming in straight away’.”

Raphael’s is the second business to come under scrutiny for lockdown breaches.

Last week, Patricia Dos Santos Pereira, appeared before Boston Licensing Committee after customers were seen inside Beira Alta Deli, on West Street.

Officers found people sitting inside the store as well as evidence she had been serving drinks not for taking out – including alcohol in a whiskey glass.

During the meeting she admitted she had broken the rules but that it was during a situation which “had not been normal”.

She told licensing officials that she had “let herself go” while trying to sort out the shop and had been having a conversation with one of the customers.

Officers also had concerns over the designated premises supervisor, and said she had failed to display a summary of her premises licence, had no evidence of staff training or enforcement of the Challenge 25 policy.

Mrs Pereira is still awaiting the result of the decision.