A new shop specialising in Afro-Caribbean products will be allowed to sell alcohol.

Afro Heights in the Bevois area of Southampton submitted an application for a premises licence.

The proposal for the site in Onslow Road went before members of the city council’s licensing sub-committee after an objection was submitted by a resident.

This representative raised concerns about an increase in crime and disorder if the application was granted.

With no responsible authorities, including police and environmental health, submitting objections, councillors approved the application to sell alcohol between the hours of 7am and 9pm.

At the sub-committee hearing on Wednesday, November 11, applicant Kofi Amevor said the business was effectively a mini-supermarket.

“We want to sell alcohol,” Mr Amevor said.

“We went to sell Guinness and Star Beer to my clients.

“At the moment we just sell all the food stuff to the clients. The alcohol will not be consumed within the property.”

Mr Amevor said he was “quite bemused” by the objection, which he believed was a misunderstanding about the amount of alcohol the premises would be selling.

He told the licensing sub-committee that alcohol sales would make up a “very small” proportion of the shop’s trade.

Councillors heard that Mr Amevor, a trained psychiatry practitioner, will be running the store with his partner.

The premises previously traded as an escape room.

The objecting resident did not attend the sub-committee hearing, which took place online as a virtual meeting.

Reading the sub-committee’s decision notice, chair Cllr Matthew Bunday said: “The applicant made it clear he intended to sell limited alcohol alongside the specialist nature of the food products on sale.

“Additionally, the opening hours of 7am to 9pm were reasonable and an earlier closing time than other premises in the area.”