THE owners of a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bournemouth have applied for a licence to sell food into the early hours of the morning after its previous one lapsed by error.

Pyramids Bournemouth Ltd was dissolved by its accountant earlier this year while its only director was out of the country – a process which saw the 14-year-old licence for the Old Christchurch Road building expire.

An application for a replacement was submitted in August by Alina Sarasan, director of the new company running the business, Cairo Kebab Ltd, but will have to be approved by councillors after two neighbours objected.

Last year Bournemouth council refused planning permission for later opening hours for the restaurant building over concerns about a possible increase in anti-social behaviour.

The decision was overturned in May after an appeal, allowing it to open until 2am Sunday to Thursday and until 5am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Planning inspector Steven Rennie said the later hours were unlikely to create problems.

“Overall, in this city centre location, adjacent to multiple other late night venues, I do not regard the extension of times of opening as having a harmful effect,” his report said.

However, following this decision it was discovered that the premises licence for the restaurant had lapsed meaning the extended hours could not be used.

The building was subject to an agreement, first made in 2005, which allowed it to sell alcohol until 2am each day.

But in mid-July it was discovered that it had been lost when the company running the restaurant was dissolved by its accountant while its sole director was abroad.

Attempts to recover the licence were abandoned due to the length of time it would take through the county court process.

Since then temporary licences have been used to facilitate later openings on Fridays and Saturdays.

An application for a permanent replacement was submitted last month.

“The application is considerably more restricted than the lapsed licence in that it does not include any form of regulated entertainment nor, most significantly, the sale of alcohol,” it says.

“Conditions proposed in the application are designed to ensure that, if granted, this licence would not add to the cumulative impact.”

However, objections have been submitted by the residents of two nearby flats who raised concerns that “loud” music was being played from the restaurant in the early hours of the morning every day.

As a result, the application will be considered by members of a BCP Council licensing sub-committee on Tuesday (October 1).