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Late Night Bite - Hours Cut

A LATE NIGHT caterer is threatening to close his popular Stranraer takeaway after councillors cut late bite hours.

Under new guidelines the Kismet Kebab House will have to shut its doors at 1am instead of 3am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

It comes in light of shocking figures released by the police concerning the number of assaults and public order offences committed near takeaway shops after closing time in nearby clubs.

The Kismet is just one of six such premises to have their licence cut at last week's meeting of the Wigtown Area Regulatory Committee.

But owner Kazim Guner is furious with the decision and has warned that if it is not reversed he will shut up shop. The 51-year-old who has ran the takeaway for the past eight years fumed:

"I only run the business and my staff only make the burgers - we do not create the trouble.

"I do not sell drugs to the people - I sell burgers - that does not make me a criminal.

"It is up to the police to find the solution to this problem and if that means getting more of their men on the street then all the better.

"But if this goes ahead and the councillors do cut back on my hours then I will shut the shop and nine local people will be unemployed."