A barber shop in Manchester city centre has been blocked from becoming an off-licence after councillors said they did not have confidence in its boss. HQ Hair by Design in Swan Street was set to be turned into Sam Off Licence, but Manchester council's licensing panel has rejected its application to sell alcohol.
It comes after licensing officers visited the premises last month and quizzed its boss Bereket Amanuel. They said that Mr Amanuel could not answer some of their questions and described his knowledge of licensing rules as 'weak'.
Mr Amanuel was also unable to state how he would prevent a drunk person entering the shop, according to GMP, and unable to explain why he would not employ a door supervisor if the store was allowed to stay open after midnight. The police also raised concerns about the proposed layout of the off licence.
