A FAST food restaurant has asked for permission to open until 5am on weekends.

Jaqk’s Chicken in Foregate Street currently stays open until 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday but bosses want to extend the city centre chicken shop’s opening hours to stay open until the early hours on weekends, the Sunday before Bank Holiday’s and New Year’s Eve.

The application will have to go before Worcester City Council’s licensing subcommittee for a decision in the next few months.

Jaqk’s Chicken falls within the council’s cumulative impact zone (CIZ) which is an area where applications are placed under greater scrutiny when looking for new or extended alcohol or late-night licences.

West Mercia Police and public health bosses at Worcestershire County Council will most likely be asked to comment before councillors make a decision.

READ MORE: Takeaway's 5am late-night opening plan rejected by council

Applications in the city’s cumulative impact zone are usually rejected on principle and the burden of proving the takeaway would not cause further crime and disorder falls onto the owners.

Worcester City Council has recommended it changes its policy to limit the number of “vertical drinking establishments” around the city centre looking to open between midnight and 6am it grants licences to in a bid to put a stop to irresponsible drinking and increased alcohol-related crime.

The council’s review of its licensing policy found the majority of bars and clubs that had little or no seating were associated with the majority of crime and disorder.

Previous data also found that people standing tend to drink more than people sitting down and talking. Takeaways serving food after 11pm also saw a lot of crime and disorder.

Last February, nearby chicken shop Kays in The Cross had its call to open until 5am rejected by the council over fears it would add further to crime and disorder in the city centre.

Jaqk’s opened in 2017 and was recently hit with a two-star rating for hygiene, a week after receiving the lowest zero rating.