Lancashire mini market wants to sell alcohol but is facing claims over 'illegal vapes'
A Lancaster shop seeking a premises licence to sell alcohol is accused of having illegal vapes and tobacco - and faces claims of having an illegal worker during an inspection earlier this year.
Lancaster Mini Market, in Bowerham Road, is seeking a premises licence from Lancaster City Council on September 23. The meeting is in Morecambe. Applicant Hawbash Shorsh Hamza wants permission to sell alcohol from 7am to midnight, seven days a week. But objections have come from Lancashire trading standards officers.
Mr Hamza's application form states his place of birth was Iraq and e lives in Manchester. A licensing consultant has helped with his application and states: "This is an established small grocery store in a row of retail premises in a residential area on a main road. The current owner has been trading there for six months without incident. Our client will have all the necessary tools in place that will allow him to reinforce and underpin all four licensing objectives."
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Licensing objectives aim to prevent public nuisance, crime and disorder, and to protect children from harm. Shop CCTV, customer signs, the Challenge 25 system, a log book for incidents, staff training and a customer refusals policy are among measures that will be used, the application form states. Customer and anyone loitering outside will be asked to leave quietly.
Later in Mr Hamza's application form, the licensing consultant adds: "The designated premises supervisor named in this application form is entitled to work in the UK, and is not subject to conditions preventing him from doing work relating to a licensable activity. I have seen a copy of his proof of entitlement to work."
However, trading standards officer Jason Middleton, of Lancashire County Council, has sent a report to the city council with accusations and objections stemming from a shop inspection in July. Trading standards officers are objecting the premises licence and the proposal to make Mr Hamza the designated premises supervisor.
Mr Middleton's report states: "On July 24, trading standards attended Lancaster Mini Market with police, immigration enforcement and an officer from Lancaster City Council's licensing department.
"Trading Standards discovered 129 non-compliant vapes under the counter and 67 non-compliant vapes in a box in the storeroom. Thirty-one packs of illegal tobacco and cigarettes were also found under the counter. These items were seized."
Cigarettes breaches were linked to one or more laws requiring health warnings on plain packets and counterfeit trademarks. Vape breaches were linked to requirements including a 2ml limit on the quantity of nicotine-containing liquid in a vape product, the report adds.
Furthermore, the trading standards report adds: "It's our understanding that the male working in the shop was found to be working illegally. He was dealt with by the attending immigration officers.
"The premises licence was also found to be in the name of the previous limited company operating at the address, dissolved in January 2024. The licensing officer from Lancaster City Council advised the owner over the phone that the premises did not have a valid premises licence and could not currently sell alcohol.
"Due to the reasons stated, it is the opinion of trading standards that the prevention of crime and disorder objective would be undermined if the licence was granted." The licensing meeting is at Morecambe Town Hall on Monday at 10am.