An Indian restaurant was given permission to sell alcohol after it dispelled concerns this would contribute to street drinking in the area.

Brent Council’s licensing committee granted Fudam, in Ealing Road, Wembley, a daily alcohol licence from 10am to 11.30pm.

Conditions imposed by the council means it will not be able to sell alcohol as part of its delivery service.

Customers collecting a takeaway will only be able to buy alcohol if they have purchased a “substantial meal”, while there is a ban on single cans of beer or cider.

It comes after concerns around street drinking in the area, and several residents voiced their opposition to the proposals.

But Mark Altman, representing the restaurant, assured the committee that granting a licence would not contribute to this issue.

He explained that the main purpose would be for diners to have alcohol with a sit-down meal, hence the ban on drinking while standing, as in a pub.

“This is a small, family restaurant that is not going to contribute to street drinking in any way shape or form,” he said.

“It is an asset to the area and hopefully we will see more in the future following a similar business model.

“There will be a high level of monitoring and supervision and is not like an off-licence – people will not be able to walk in, order beer and walk away with it.”

An application for off sales was added so customers could take home, for example, any wine they did not drink as part of a meal.

The council agreed to grant the licence subject to the various conditions outlined by various licensing authorities.

These include the installation of an up to date CCTV system, the implementation of an incident logbook and for all receipts of wholesale alcohol purchases to be kept for at least six years.

It added that staff should be trained on spotting drunkenness and recognising its impact on the local community.