The alcohol license of Liverpool convenience store, which had become the “go to” location for illicit sales, has been revoked after a 13-year-old girl had to be taken to hospital after getting drunk on vodka she had purchased unchallenged from the store.
According to local media reports, members of Liverpool Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee have taken a dim view of the levels of “wholesale breaches and criminal offences” at Old Swan Express on Prescot Road, stripping owner Sinnathamby Arumugasamy of his licence, despite him only gaining permission to trade at the former angling store in February of this year.
Most recently last month, two teenagers managed to buy vodka from the store unchallenged, which led to one of the girls requiring medical attention after consuming the alcohol.
The incident was reported to Merseyside Police, who were represented by PC Nicola Ireland at the hearing. She told the committee how the force had requested CCTV footage to establish the circumstances of the incident but none was provided owing to an “issue” with the shop’s system.
PC Ireland said as a result, officers were not able to pursue a prosecution into the “very, very serious offence” and it had hindered the investigation.
Claire Jones, from the council’s trading standards team told the committee, said there had been “ongoing issues” with the business and the authority had sought to secure the maximum closure order of three months from the courts as a result. She said on multiple occasions, anonymous tip-offs had been received regarding the sale of counterfeit and loose cigarettes as well as illicit vapes.
In July, a 16-year-old volunteer was able to purchase an illicit vape for £12 without being challenged on their age or for identification during a test visit. On that occasion, the sole individual working said they were “just covering” for the owner and on further inspection, a list of available illicit vapes was found in a bin.
A hidden compartment under the counter was also identified containing illegal products. Jones said shops were keeping small quantities on site more often to avoid large seizures when found.
On a separate visit, officers also uncovered a wine bottle with “bits floating in it,” Jones said. Arumugasamy said he had bought this from a man with a van, apologised and said it wouldn’t happen again.
Despite this plea, trading standards officials were able to buy single cans of super strength cider on different occasions, a breach of the licensing conditions.
Arumugasamy told the committee how he was “really very, very sorry” for what had happened and acknowledged the products he sold were illegal. He claimed he had been pressured by people to sell them the products and had been threatened by youngsters in his shop. PC Ireland rejected this claim, saying the force had not been notified of such incidents.
The committee heard how he had previously been a chef for 17 years and was his first shop, having only been granted his licence in February this year. Delivering the committee’s decision that it would revoke Arumugasamy’s licence, Cllr Christine Banks, committee chair, said, “The committee is in no doubt to revoke this licence due to the wholesale breaches and criminal offences committed.
“The committee has no confidence the licence holder will be able to run this premises in a lawful manner in future.”
