'Worst I've ever come across': Officer's verdict on Normanton shop Polski Slep where illicit tobacco stash was found

An off-licence where an illicit tobacco stash was discovered by police, who'd only turned up discuss litter concerns, has lost its right to sell alcohol.
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Nearly 4,000 counterfeit cigarettes were found underneath the shop counter at Polski Slep, in Normanton, when officers attended the shop on November 27 last year.

On Tuesday, a council officer described the shop's failure to comply with the law as the worst he'd ever come across.

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A licensing hearing was told how police had originally wanted to talk to the shop's management about complaints of litter coming from the premises, but were alerted to the stash after observing suspicious behaviour from customers.

Police found the counterfeit cigarettes after visiting Polski Slep on November 27.Police found the counterfeit cigarettes after visiting Polski Slep on November 27.
Police found the counterfeit cigarettes after visiting Polski Slep on November 27.

CCTV footage taken from the store was played at the hearing, showing a staff member selling tobacco from under the counter on three separate occasions in November.

The shop's licence holder, Patrycta Sawica, was not present on either occasion, but was later interviewed by police as part of their criminal investigation into the findings, which is ongoing.

But the hearing was told that Polski Slep continued to sell the illegal products after the police's discovery and West Yorkshire Trading Standards found a further batch of more than 900 illicit cigarettes during a raid at the store last month.

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Wakefield Council licensing officer Paul Dean said that the shop had also broken several other laws.

Trading Standards found even more illicit tobacco at the store, nearly three months on from the police's discovery.Trading Standards found even more illicit tobacco at the store, nearly three months on from the police's discovery.
Trading Standards found even more illicit tobacco at the store, nearly three months on from the police's discovery.

These included a failing to display the premises licence, not training staff with the CCTV, not keeping an incidents register and offering no evidence of running a Challenge 25 policy.

Mr Dean said: "I've been a licensing officer for 13 years and visited hundreds of premises.

"I normally always find some areas of compliance that we can work with, but I have to say this is the worst I've ever done.

"All the conditions have been breached.

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"I think it's quite clear from the footage that they've been supplied with illegal cigarettes and they've been selling them on.

"I don't think any form of training or conditions attached to the licence would help.

"In my view, I support the police's request to have the licence revoked."

Ms Sawica did not attend the hearing, though a barrister, Alan Bridger, did appear on her behalf.

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However, having originally intended to ask for the hearing to be adjourned, Mr Bridger said his "instructions had changed" and that Ms Sawica wanted to surrender the licence.

He said: "In 40 years as a solicitor I don't think I've ever felt so redundant.

"I can't dispute any of the arguments that have been made.

"My instructions now are that (Ms Sawica) wants rid of the licence.

A panel of three councillors took just half an hour to conclude the licence should be revoked.

Local Democracy Reporting Service