RESIDENTS have today pleaded with city licence chiefs not to let a corner shop near where a teenager was stabbed to death sell booze.

At least 140 residents have objected to the application for an alcohol licence from Best One Express in Southampton Police have submitted a 208-page dossier warning crime and nuisance behaviour around the parade of shops in Aldermoor Road, which includes a charity store, a chip shop and Ladbrokes, would get worse.

Daniel Loader, 17, was stabbed to death near the shops five years ago.

An inquest heard youths on the estate had been drinking heavily on the night he died and stealing alcohol from a Co-Op, now closed, on the same parade.

Damien Kershaw, 16, was given an indeterminate sentence after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Councillor Don Thomas said: “There is a well known and unhappy history of young people using this stretch of shops whilst drinking alcohol.

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“Allowing alcohol to be sold again will frustrate an already fragile situation.

The very real fear is that trouble will kick off again.”

Best One owner Kumarasami Uthayapharan wants to “enhance”

his business by selling alcohol from 8am to 11pm at night.

He promised no alcohol would be sold to anyone who looked under 25 and CCTV would be made available to police. He said staff would also receive extra training and refused sales would be recorded.

Licensing sergeant Chris Challis said the shop was in an area that suffered from high levels of antisocial behaviour, often fuelled by alcohol.

He said he feared the shop and its staff would be targeted even more if it got a alcohol licence.

“Youths would attempt to steal alcohol, encouraging adults to buy it for them or intimidate staff in an attempt to obtain alcohol,” he added.