A NOTORIOUS party venue believed to be a gang hotspot has decided not to apply for an alcohol licence.

Praba Banqueting Suite in High Road, Ilford, was forced to surrender its licence on February 15 after a man was found shot and stabbed in a car outside 10 days earlier.

It has been shut down twice by police since New Year’s Eve.

The owners were due to face Redbridge Council’s licensing committee this morning (March 29) in their bid to regain the licence and nominate a “designated premises supervisor (DPS)”, which would allow them to sell alcohol.

But just minutes into the meeting at Redbridge Town Hall the venue’s representatives said it no longer wished to apply for the booze certificate.

He said: “We still want to transfer the licence, but feel we’re not in a position to do that today.

“We need more time to gather our own information before we deal with the objections raised.”

In a letter to the committee Ilford Police Station’s PC Ian Taylor recommended Praba should not get it its licence back because officers believe it is “attracting gang activity from across London”.

The hearing has been adjourned until a date in late April.