Two Wycombe shops banned from selling alcohol

Following the suspension of their premises licence by Wycombe District Council two High Wycombe shops will start short-term bans on selling alcohol from Thursday 4th September 2014.

Grosik, located at 4 to 5 Castle Street, has been given a three-month premise licence suspension and the Anatolia Food Centre, located at 51 to 53 Oxford Street, has been given a month long premise licence suspension which will temporarily ban the stores from selling alcohol.

Should the sale of alcohol be undertaken during the suspension period then this would be a criminal offence under section 136 of the Licensing Act.

The premise licence suspensions are a result of a raid by Trading Standards and HMRC earlier this year during which it was found that the stores were selling illegal tobacco and alcohol. In the case of Grosik the illegal tobacco and alcohol was found in a hidden store.

Cllr Jean Teesdale, Wycombe District Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, commented: ‘The sale of illegal alcohol and tobacco not only breaches licence conditions, but potentially puts members of the public in harms way. Neither of these actions are acceptable. I hope that the suspension of these two licences sends a clear message to all licence holders within the Wycombe district that undermining the law in this way is a serious matter that will not be tolerated.‘

As the licensing authority for the premises Wycombe District Council suspended the premise licences following a meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee on 12th August 2014 during which evidence from the raids was presented.

No appeals were lodged within the 21 day period following the meeting and the suspensions come into effect on 4th September 2014.