A KEBAB shop owner has angered his neighbours with an application to increase its opening hours from midnight to 5am.

Residents of South Woodford High Road, who have long complained about late-night noise from customers at Funky Mojoes nightclub, fear that the application by the neighbouring Kebabland will turn their area into a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

The take-away is already licensed to stay open until 2.30am on Saturdays and Sundays, but its latest bid would allow it to stay open until 5am from Monday to Friday.

Freddie Shaw, 75, of Churchfields, said: “There's so much litter around here at the weekends, with discarded kebab boxes and bits of salad and what have you.

“This will mean we get it in the week as well. I'm totally against it.

“It will just encourage more people to congregate in the area even later at night, especially the younger people.”

Barry Van Loen, 65, who lives in Tempus Court near the shop, said: “This seems quite ridiculous to me. Litter is bad enough around here as it is.

“They're not catering for local people, this is for people who come in from outside the area.

“I don't know why anybody in their right mind would want to be out there at 5am on a weekday morning.”

In April last year a 21-year-old carpet fitter who had spent the evening at Funky Mojoes was attacked by a group of men inside the take-away, losing a tooth and being left covered in blood on the pavement outside.

Kebabland's owner, Dogan Ekim, said if the extension was granted he only planned to open late enough to serve revellers leaving Funky Mojoe, before shutting his shop.

Mr Ekim added: “If they buy their food, go 100 metres away and then chuck it in the street, I'm not responsible.

“I pay lots of money in rent and rates. It's the council's problem. If it's outside the shop then I'll clean it up.”

Anyone wanting to comment on the plans has until February 21 to contact Redbridge Council. No date has been set for a decision on the application.