‘A total disregard for the Licensing Act’: Store loses licence for selling smuggled cigarettes, illegal vapes and super strength booze

Police and council officers discovered multiple licensing breaches and evidence of criminal activity during a series of visits to The Off-Licence, Barnsley Road, South Elmsall.

Evidence was also found that the store’s CCTV system had been altered to hide criminal activity.

A Wakefield Council licensing sub-committee heard how 3,880 illegal cigarettes were recovered from the store on February 15 this year.

PC Toby Warden said police and council licensing enforcement officers went to the premises as the licence holder, Farhad Ali Mahmood, had not paid an annual fee.

PC Warden said officers noticed that illicit vapes were on sale which contained nicotine above the legal limit. A holdall containing counterfeit cigarettes was found behind the counter.

The licence holder then went to the rear of the store and produced another bag containing illegal tobacco products.

PC Warden said officers asked to check the store’s CCTV cameras but Mr Mahmood told them he did not have the passwords to access the system.

Police were given access to the CCTV system and hard drive the next day but it appeared changes had been made to footage to hide criminal activity.

A further visit to the shop was made on February 21 and there was no CCTV system in place.

No written ‘challenge 25’ age policy was on display and bottles of cider above the maximum 6% ABV were on sale.

The meeting was told officers returned to the store on March 27 but “nothing had changed” and Mr Mahmood continued to be reluctant to engage with officers.

PC Warden added: “Throughout the visit he was very elusive and was not really interested in us being there, to be honest.

“We did not really have much conversation with him.”

Licensing enforcement officer Paul Dean said: “There has been no compliance whatsoever with the Licensing Act.”

Mr Dean urged councillors to revoke the licence, adding: “This series of events indicates that Mr Mahmood is not only involved in criminal activity but that he has a complete disregard for the Licensing Act.”

Public health officer Chris Wathen told the meeting that the illegal activity at the shop undermined attempts to reduce smoking in the district.

Mr Mahmood did not attend the hearing and was not represented.

The meeting was told he has since told authorities that he is no longer involved in the business.

The licensing panel said it was satisfied that revocation of the licence was appropriate after hearing the evidence presented at the meeting.