A Newcastle city centre cocktail bar will be allowed to start serving drinks at 10am – but has dropped plans to open even earlier after striking a deal with city authorities.

Mojo, which moved into the former TGI Fridays unit at The Gate last year, had sparked concerns from Northumbria Police over a bid to start selling alcohol as early as 9am.

While the venue had argued that it only planned to do so in a bid to bring in customers already going to nearby bars and pubs on early kick-off football matchdays at St James’ Park,  police had warned that the result could be “higher levels of intoxication and an increased risk of patrons becoming victims or perpetrators of crime” in a part of Newcastle already deemed one of “special stress” because of the volume of drinking premises.(Image: PR)

A Newcastle City Council hearing to rule on the plans was due to be held on Tuesday morning, but was called off after a compromise was agreed.

It means that Mojo will now be allowed to serving alcohol from 10am daily, rather than the 11am allowed under its current licence, but that police can instruct bar bosses not to do so until 11am if there is a “high-risk occasion” that is a cause for extra concern – such as a high-profile football match like the Tyne-Wear derby.

In submissions to the council on behalf of Mojo, solicitor Paddy Whur wrote that the bar has a “a very good track record since opening” and was “different to many of the venues in their immediate vicinity”.

Newcastle premises already allowed to serve booze from 9am include the Keel Row, Aspers casino, the Duke of Northumberland, the Black Garter, the Three Bulls Head, the Mile Castle and the Slug and Lettuce.

Mr Whur added: “The purpose of the application is to attract some of the existing customers in the area when there is an early event at St James’ Park. Many other licensed premises in the area open at these times on these event days. 

“We do not believe that if Mojo are permitted to do so that it would increase the number of people/consumption of alcohol, but would provide an alternative for potential customers in and around the Gate.

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"On that basis we feel that there would be no adverse effect on the licensing objectives and this would allow for the application to be granted.”

However, police sergeant Julie Cottiss argued that a 9am start time for drinking would lead to “likely crime and disorder issues” on “extremely busy” Newcastle United home matchdays.

She accepted that Mojo had not “notable associated crimes and disorder” incidents since it opened, but said police would only accept a 10am commencement time for alcohol sales.