A new feud is brewing between police and Newcastle’s notorious Sayers family – over plans to sell mulled wine and hot toddies on one of Tyneside's busiest streets.
John Henry Sayers Jr, son of infamous hardman John Henry Sayers Sr, is in a battle with city authorities over a bid to expand his food and drink kiosk business on Northumberland Street because of his family’s past.
After opening the Saye’s To Go stand at the bottom of the city centre high street late last year, he applied to Newcastle City Council for an alcohol licence that would allow it to serve some favourite festive tipples during the Christmas shopping season.
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But Northumbria Police sought to put a stop to the plans and complained that they were “extremely concerned”, on the basis of Mr Sayers Sr’s criminal history – with him being jailed in 2018 after being convicted of perverting the course of justice by getting convicted killer Michael McDougall to falsely confess to a drive-by shooting outside the Tup Tup nightclub.
Ahead of a council licensing hearing to finally rule on his application next Tuesday, John Jnr claimed that the police were “trying to punish me for being my father's son”.
He told ChronicleLive: "I have no convictions whatsoever. I hold a licence by Newcastle City Council for being a private hire taxi driver and street trading licence.
"I am an energetic entrepreneur with various businesses within this city.
"Both Lynne [Holmes, fellow applicant] and myself have joined forces to supply national award winning ice creams and hot and cold drinks.
"Lynne's expertise has helped us get to this stage with the next step of supplying alcohol in a responsible way to the people of Newcastle.
"We should be applauded for our enterprise and initiative in encouraging a larger street trade to our city.”
His uncle Albert, a well-known veteran trader on Northumberland Street for decades, added that he found the police’s objection “quite absurd”.
In an objection letter sent to the city council on December 8, chief inspector Daniel Whyte wrote that Mr Sayers Sr was “well known to Northumbria Police in relation to his involvement and links to serious organised crime, and whose involvement/links would in the view of the police render him unsuitable to hold a premises licence”.
In the document published ahead of Tuesday’s online hearing, he added: "In view of the above and against the context of Mr Sayers Sr involvement/link to serious organised crime, the police are understandably extremely concerned at the grant of a premises licence to the applicant John Henry Sayers Jr."
The licence application was to allow Saye’s To Go to serve alcohol from December 10 last year until this February 28, from 10am to 10pm every day.
But police also raised concerns over why the request would run until the end of February when it was clearly aimed at Christmas shopping trade and warned that it "does not contain a firm and clear indication that the only alcoholic beverages that will be sold from the premises are mulled wine and liquor hot beverages".
The force’s objection notice also claims it was “questionable” that the kiosk would be able to “capture their purported market over the festive season" as neither Mr Sayers Jr nor Ms Holmes held the personal licence required to be the designated premises supervisor of a venue serving alcohol.
City centre councillor Jane Byrne has also opposed the proposals, saying: "Northumberland Street is a predominantly shopping street and introducing the sale of alcohol would have a negative impact on public amenity and safety."
Council licensing boss Jonathan Bryce complained too that the plan would be "contradictory" to a council Public Spaces Protection Order banning the consumption of alcohol in the street and would "undoubtedly adversely impact on the licensing objectives of crime and disorder, protection of children from harm, public safety, and public nuisance in an identified area of cumulative impact".
