THE owner of a takeaway which had its licence revoked after an inspector was "obstructed" says the business may close if the council doesn't relent.

As reported, police back-up was called to enable senior licensing officer Sarah Rogers to examine Café Fresco during a visit in the early hours of the morning.

Members of Bournemouth council's licensing sub-committee agreed last week to revoke the Old Christchurch Road eatery's premises licence.

Now the owner of Fresco, who does not want to be named, said his business "will be dead" if the situation continues.

"We're going to talk to our solicitor and consider appealing," he said.

"This is nothing more than punishment and it will end the business."

The sub-committee heard rat droppings were found. However, the owner said the droppings were found outside the shop on council-owned land.

"The council has a big problem with rats, but they weren't inside the café and we have no problems at all with rodents," he said.

"All the droppings were found in a backyard and an alleyway, and that's the council's land."

In a statement given at the sub-committee hearing, Mrs Rogers said a person she assumed was an employee had refused to let her into Fresco.

“He shouted at me and kept repeating ‘who are you?’, ‘you are not coming through’, ‘get a written letter’ and ‘there’s nothing to see’," she said.

Once police arrived, she inspected the roof terrace and although it was empty, she said it was “clear” the room had been used.

“It was warm, there was a smell of shisha, there were burning embers in one shisha pipe apparatus and cigarette ends in a plant pot,” she said.

Solicitor Philip Day, representing the takeaway’s owner said the business relies on late-night visitors and does 95 per cent of its business as a takeaway.

The café's owner said: "This will destroy my business.

"We pay £50,000 a year in rents and rates. There are already so many empty shops in Old Christchurch Road.

"I don't understand what this is going to achieve."