Cafe told to shut up shop over drugs and disorder

A town centre café where a police officer was placed in a headlock and drugs were discovered has been shut down.

Café Nos Terra, in Norwich Road, Ipswich, has had its licence revoked after Suffolk Police called for its “immediate suspension”.

The decision over the eatery’s future was made by Ipswich Borough Council’s licensing and regulatory sub-committee during a meeting.

In a statement café owner Dirce Maior said: “I don’t believe it’s fair to penalise me or my business for past incidents I have already taken action to resolve.”

The recommendation to close down the café came after multiple serious disorder incidents which left the force "out of options", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Presenting the police's case, its licencing officer, Ms Sharon Betts-Palmer, said the force had "very great concerns" with how the cafe was being run.

Ms Betts-Palmer repeated the police’s report that stated the cafe had become "a serious local issue" since Carla Alexandra Melo de Sousa took over the venue as premises' licence holder and supervisor.

On 5 October Sgt Mason Blanchard said he was placed in a headlock by a man while trying to separate a large-scale fight involving about 10 people outside the premises.

In his witness statement, he said: “As I grabbed hold of one male who had another in a headlock, I felt a forearm across my throat applying pressure and another arm around my waist.

“I was dragged from the group with continuing pressure around my upper body and throat, and pushed backwards towards one of the cafes.”

The officer said he used “proportionate and the most minimal” force to gain control over the man, while members of the public tried to prevent his arrest.

During the meeting, however, it was argued the premises had already been closed for 45 minutes by the time the fight broke out.

Parts of the officer’s statement were also rejected on behalf of the licence holder, include claims he announced himself and was in full police uniform.

A statement submitted by Lara Moreira, the daughter of café owner Dirce Maior, said: "At no point did we witness [the man] head-locking the police officer.

"We observed a man attempting to de-escalate the situation who was approached from behind by an officer who did not announce who he was, upon realising the individual was a police officer, he was quick to apologise.”

Ms Betts-Palmer also said the cafe had now become known for drug dealing, including two drug-related incidents.

On 1 October the premise was subject to a search warrant during which officers found one male member of staff in possession of a small bag of cannabis and another male customer with several bags of cannabis and a wrap of cocaine plus two phones, one of which was a burner.

During the search, officers found a cannabis grinder and digital scales next to the coffee machine and two steak knives in the basin cabinet of the toilets.

In the function room, there was also a cubbyhole containing a mattress, sleeping bags and documents for different people.

It was argued, however, the cafe "cannot control what a person has on their being" and that the establishment does not stand for "criminal activities" and is not in "any way, shape, or form tied to drugs or any illegal activities".

In a statement, Ms Maior added: “I don’t believe it’s fair to penalise me or my business for past incidents that I have already taken action to resolve.

“This business is my passion, I am so happy I am able to have a space like Nos Terra that every single day is home to people from every background, every age.

“We are not here to be in a battle with authorities or cause disturbance.”

After taking adjourning for consideration, councillors decided to revoke the premise's licence.

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