Victory for residents as Tinseltown reduces opening hours after ‘shots fired.’

Tinseltown in Heath Street (Image: © Nigel Sutton email pictures@nigelsuttonphotography.com)

A controversial late-night restaurant In Hampstead has agreed to reduce its opening hours following armed carjackings during which shots were fired.

As reported exclusively in the Ham&High, residents were woken in the early hours as detectives raced to Heath Street just after midnight on Friday September 2 to reports of shots fired.

Police said: “Two male victims in their mid-20s reported that there had been an unsuccessful attempt to steal the car that they were driving in.

“A subsequent search did not recover a firearm or other residue.”

They said the next night police were called at the same time to the Heath Street area to reports of the robbery of a vehicle, a blue Rover hatchback.

A spokesman said: “The two male victims, aged 18 and 27, told police that the suspects threatened them with a gun and a knife.”

Detectives believe the same pair of suspects are responsible for both attacks.

Following the incidents police officers met Tinseltown managers who agreed to change the burger and milkshake bars opening hours to 11pm from Sunday through to Thursday instead of 2am.

It will also close at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays instead of 3am.

The restaurant has been at the centre of a storm of complaints from residents and local councillors for more than six years. They claim that it attracts antisocial behaviour, crime and litter to Heath Street and surrounding roads.

In July 2012 Camden council cuts its hours to 11pm after receiving 110 compaints from residents who had been about violence, litter and noise.

But in November 2012 Tinseltown managers appealed the ruling at Highbury Magistrates Court.

Councillor Tom Currie said, “For many years now, Tinseltown has disregarded the wellbeing of local residents who have suffered littering, crime, yelling and swearing in the early hours of the morning, and threatening behaviour – all of which seem to emanate from the patrons of this one particular venue.

“This is a quiet residential area, not a late night hot-spot full of bars and clubs. Yet the management continued to open their doors until the early hours, despite the pleas of local residents to have some courtesy for the neighbourhood.

“It appears now that even Tinseltown’s management are unable to ignore the recent increase in crime and anti-social behaviour, and after discussions with local police, they have finally agreed to limit their opening hours to a more sensible time.”

“Our thanks also go to the local police for their intervention, and for their recent discussions with the Tinsel Town management.”

Residents are now looking forward to reduced opening times restoring peace to the area.

Mr Currie said: “The particular type of clientele who caused concerns were being attracted to Tinsel Town because it was the only venue open at that time of morning in the north of the Borough.

Now that it will be closing in line with other venues in Hampstead and farther afield, it is hoped that this anti-social and criminal crowd will bother to make the trip all the way up to Heath Street.”

The manager of Tinseltown in Hampstead confirmed that head office had reduced opening hours but said it was for “commercial reasons.”