A KEBAB shop’s plan to become the first known in Newport to sell alcohol with food orders has been thrown out over concerns it could encourage underage drinking.

Yummies Kebab House had its application for a variation of its licence to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises refused by Newport City Council's licensing sub-committee on Tuesday.

The plan included allowing for alcohol to be sold with meal orders between 3.45pm and 1.45am Sunday to Thursday and 3.45pm and 2.45am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sergio Nocerino, of the takeaway in Upper Dock Street, said he wanted to give customers the option of enjoying an alcoholic drink with their food but only at their home.

He said: "The business of Newport has gone down.

"We are trying our best to give our customers more options. There are no kebab shops in Newport which sell alcohol with their food at the moment.

"We will be the first."

Under the plans delivery drivers would wear bodycams after 11pm and alcohol could only be ordered from a home address with a meal.

Mr Nocerino said drivers would be fully trained and vowed that measures would be in place to ensure underage drinking is not allowed.

However Newport City Council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board maintained objections to the application after the kebab house said it was not prepared to meet a licensing condition.

The condition insisted that card payments must be paid for online, or over the phone, before delivery, with restrictions on paying cash on delivery.

Alastair Dearling, the council’s principal licensing officer, said it provided an extra check to prevent alcohol being delivered to underage drinkers.

But Mr Nocerino said it would delay orders and result in the takeaway losing customers.

Mr Dearling said he wanted to see extra conditions included to ensure it does not encourage underage drinking and more details of how drivers would be trained.

"We feel this is a high risk operation," he added.

Announcing the panel of three's decision, Cllr Davies said they did not feel the application had been "thoroughly thought through."

She said the application could impact on crime and disorder and the welfare of children.

A resubmitted application would be considered though.