Shop forced to cease alcohol trade

A FALMOUTH shop accused of selling alcohol to children has had its licence temporarily revoked this week.

Police claimed The Corner Shop at Berkeley Vale is not well managed and called for its licence to be reviewed.

It also emerged that the outlet's CCTV system has not been working and Cornwall Council Trading Standards, which caught the shop selling booze the youngsters, believed the breaches could be widespread.

A manager has also told the West Briton that illegal sales have taken place.

Police alleged in official docments that it is "common knowledge" among local school children they can buy alcohol and tobacco underage there following complaints from a number of individuals.

One parent told police her children had seen teenagers in school uniform getting served such items in the shop.

Officers twice visited the store to discuss the allegations with staff. and give advice.

And in February the shop failed a Trading Standards sting - by selling a bottle of a Vodka-based alcopop to a 16-year-old girl sent in by the local authority.

Despite the shop operating a Challenge 18 policy and displaying a "no ID, no sale" sign, the girl went unchallenged. In a statement to police the shop assistant said the girl looked "18 or 19".

Jaswinder Brar owns the shop, along with two others in Wokingham, where he also lives. He has been the premises licence holder since March last year, but is not on site full time.

Cornwall Council's licensing committee yesterday agreed to remove Mr Brar as the designated licence-holder and suspended the licence to sell alcohol until a new licence-holder is in place.

They also ordered that the shop put in place a robust training policy, run in conjunction with Trading Standards, and that it operates a 'challenge 25' policy regarding proof of age for alcohol purchases and gets its CCTV working.

But in documents seen prior to the meeting, police licensing officer Sue Edwards said: "It is my opinion these premises are not well run, or managed. We have experienced several alleged incidents of alcohol supply to children.

"Staff have not, in my opinion, been properly trained to sell alcohol. The owner and designated premises supervisor lives in Wokingham and cannot be in day-to-day control.

"CCTV is also not working at the premises."

Mr Brar was unavailable for comment this week.

However store manager Ahmed Jasbrar said prior to the hearing: "Everything is okay now. We had some staff who sold alcohol by mistake and we do apologise for that. We are really careful now."

Peter Northey of Trading Standards said: "It is a matter for the review hearing to determine whether it is appropriate for this business to continue to sell alcohol.

"The level of complaints received by police indicates the failed test purchase is not an isolated incident.

"It is evident that not only does Mr Brar not have a clear challenge policy, but also that he does not fully understand the concept of such a policy.

"It is of great concern to me that a business should be selling alcohol when the owner appears to have such a poor understanding relating to sale of alcohol to young people."

The licensing committee could have either revoked or suspend the licence, modified the conditions or removed the designated premises supervisor.