A restaurant and shisha lounge could lose its licence to sell alcohol after allegedly breaching coronavirus regulations.

Councillors heard evidence that Rakkas, in Green Lanes, Harringay, opened and provided food, alcohol and shisha pipes during a national lockdown designed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

But representatives of licence holder Ali Sukran Ozbek denied the allegations, claiming the venue had been offering a takeaway and delivery service in line with the restrictions.

Haringey Council’s environmental health team applied for a review of Rakkas’ premises licence, which was considered by a meeting of the licensing subcommittee on Wednesday.

Daliah Barrett, the council’s licensing team leader, told the meeting the venue was open and providing “food, alcohol and shisha pipes at a time when the country was placed into lockdown and hospitality businesses were effectively closed, save for the provision of takeaway food only."

Ms Barrett said the first breach came on December 5 last year, when police officers visited Rakkas and found shisha pipes were being made available for use to customers on site.

The second was on February 1, when officers “found evidence of the public on site, shisha activity was taking place and the premises had catered for a number of customers who were given access via the back door”, she added.

PC Derek Ewart, from the Metropolitan Police’s north area licensing team, read a statement from one of the police officers who attended on February 1. It said that when police entered, a metal shutter separating the front from the back of the restaurant was closing and they heard “multiple people running out of the back of the restaurant”.

He said it was “clearly evident to officers there had been a number of people smoking shisha, eating and drinking in the back area of the restaurant”.

But Graham Hopkins, who was representing Mr Ozbek, claimed people had been on the premises for a business meeting, which was allowed under the coronavirus rules.

“Mr Ozbek denies breaking any rules on February 1,” he said. “We say that the case is not substantiated. The restaurant was legally open on February 1 for both home deliveries by courier and a click-and-collection service for food.”

Mr Hopkins said the restaurant provided a delivery service for shisha, after which the pipes were “thoroughly and hygienically cleaned”.

He questioned why the police had not asked for CCTV footage from the restaurant, which he said had now been overwritten. He also claimed not to have seen footage from a camera worn by one of the officers who had attended.

The evidence referred to by police was “props” from a photoshoot taking place to illustrate a new menu, Mr Hopkins claimed.

Cllr Viv Ross (Liberal Democrat, Fortis Green) pointed out that police statements revealed there was “evidence of gambling on the tables – cards and gambling chips”.

Mr Hopkins claimed this was a prop brought in by photographers.

But Cllr Ross said he did not understand why a photographer would take photos of gambling when the venue did not have a gambling licence.

One of Mr Ozbek’s nephews claimed the table was brought in for a videography shoot for social media that the photographer did not end up using.

PC Ewart defended the evidence that had been provided by the police, saying he thought it was sufficient. “It is felt that the licensing objectives have been undermined,” he added.

After the public session, the licensing committee considered the evidence in private. The committee could revoke the licence, suspend it, change its conditions, exclude a licensable activity from its scope or remove the designated premises supervisor. Its decision will be published within the next five working days.