Shop shut down for three months could face further punishment

A convenience store shut down by the courts could face further sanctions from Liverpool Council. Earlier this month, Village News on Allerton Road was slapped with a three month closure order by Sefton Magistrates' Court owing to “serious nuisance to members of the public.”

Now the business could face a long term punishment from the local authority as a panel of councillors will review the premises licence and could move to revoke it entirely. On September 18, the closure order sought by trading standards officials from the city council was awarded by magistrates owing to a judgement that “a person has engaged, or is likely to engage, in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour on the premises.”

Kamesan Vinayagamoorthy is listed as the designated premises supervisor and premises licence holder. Currently the business operates from 8am to 11pm daily and sells alcohol throughout its trading hours.

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A licence review will be conducted by the city council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee on Thursday that could lead to its permission to trade being revoked altogether. If the licensing authority on review decides to remove the premises licence, it must remain closed until the end of the period for appealing against the decision.

The move to assess the business’ aptitude to trade is the latest in a series of measures by the city council to clamp down on errant venues. Earlier this month, a store in Wavertree shut down over selling thousands of illegal cigarettes had its licence stripped by the committee.

Grab & Go on Lawrence Road was made the subject of a closure order by the local authority in July as a result of “ongoing criminality.” Over the course of the last two years, counterfeit and smuggled goods worth almost £4,000 had been seized from the store.

This included 5,100 cigarettes, 54 pouches of tobacco and 180 vapes, some of which were hidden in boxes on top of fridges which required access via a ladder. A series of undercover test purchases were made by officers, four for cigarettes and two for vapes.

The committee heard: “The premises continued to sell illicit products, despite being advised and warned to stop selling these and being offered guidance and advice by our team. The premises received two written warning letters, along with several verbal warnings following each seizure at the premises.”

The panel will consider its view in relation to Village News on Thursday, October 3.