A restaurant on Clacton seafront has vowed to defend itself against claims of violent disorder - after police lodged complaints over a series of reported night-time fights which spilled out onto the street.

Essex Police has applied for Kassaba Restaurant, in Marine Parade East, to have its premises licence reviewed.

Officers claim that since restaurants were allowed to reopen following Covid-19 restrictions, there have been repeated reports of large-scale fights in the late and early hours - “resulting in consistent calls to police and significant disruption to neighbouring businesses”.

However, Kassaba owner Baktash Roohrawan has vehemently denied the claims.

A spokesman for the Turkish eatery, which opened in 2012, said: “All the submissions received from the police are exaggerated accusations.”

In documents submitted ahead of Tendring District Council’s premises/personal licences sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, November 4, police said they were called seven times between July 19 and August 30.

On August 22, for example, officers said they responded to reports of “seven or eight males fighting” at 1.10am. They said were told an altercation occurred when someone refused to pay an entry fee to the premises.

On August 30, at 1.51am, police said they responded to reports of a fight between women which had spilled out onto the street - saying they arrived to find many people in the street “extremely intoxicated”.

On August 23, at 11.45pm, police said “multiple victims are taken home for their safety after a fight spilled out onto the street, while they said some of those involved in a fight on July 25 at 12.37am fled into the crazy golf course opposite the restaurant.

A spokesman for Kassaba said it accepted some incidents, although not all of those alleged, had taken place - but that it could not be held responsible for fights that had broken out on the street, outside the premises.

“The blame is getting put on us, which seems unfair,” the spokesman said, adding that it was unfair the venue was being subjected to a premises licence review.

Asked if Kassaba would defend itself against the accusations, the spokesman said: “We’re very much prepared to.

“We will be surprised if the sub-committee decides to revoke our licence. All the evidence that has been provided by Kassaba is factual.”

Essex Police’s application for the premises licence review said: “This behaviour by customers not only puts a strain on police resources, but also has a significant impact on local businesses.”