‘We’ll appeal Hackney Council decision’ says manager of The Dolphin

The Dolphin in Mare Street. Photograph: Ella Jessel

Iconic late night hangout The Dolphin plans to appeal Hackney Council’s decision to slash its hours after police branded the Mare Street venue a crime hotspot.

The 150-year-old pub faces having to close at 1.30am at the latest after the Town Hall’s licensing committee resolved to amend its licence.

However, licensing law allows The Dolphin to remain open during its original hours until the appeal is heard – meaning it is still allowed to stay open until as late as 4.30am on some nights.

The appeal is likely to be heard in Thames Magistrates’ Court later this year.

The pub’s manager Kay Underdown said: “The support we’ve had from all our customers has been touching.”

She said that if The Dolphin does not win at appeal, she could have to lay off as many as 30 members of staff.

At this week’s licensing hearing Sgt Guy Hicks from Hackney Police said longer hours meant “more drunkenness and more targets for crime”.

He said police figures showed a total of 160 crimes had been recorded at the Mare Street venue between 2010 and 2013 and added that this was “disproportionately high” compared with other venues in the area.

Though Sgt Hicks praised staff including manager Kay Underdown for taking steps to beef up safety, he said “drunkenness” of customers played a major part in allowing “very, very organised criminal gangs” to steal property.

Lawyer Rachel Kapila, representing Dolphin licence holder Yasar Yildiz told the meeting a reduction in crime could be achieved using “less draconian methods” than cutting the pub’s hours.