THE future of a food store's premises licence will be determined in a crunch meeting this week.

Bosses at Lancashire County Council Trading Standards claim M&M Food Store, in Athol Street South, Burnley has been selling thousands of illegal tobacco products to customers since 2008.

Officers submitted an application to Burnley Council in April asking them to review the store's premise licence following allegations the owner, Arshad Mahmood, was selling counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco products with incorrect health labels on them.

A decision on the application was set to be made at Burnley Council's licensing meeting last Wednesday, but the case was adjourned because store ownership had changed hands a day prior to the meeting after Mr Mahmood transferred control of the shop to his wife Rehanna Iqbal.

Police made representations to Burnley Council objecting to the transfer while Gill Sherratt, accompanied by Laura Thomasson, on behalf of the application confirmed the transfer had taken place and a review of the premises licence should be adjourned until after any hearing on the transfer.

The case has been adjourned to the earliest available date not less than seven days after the hearing to "allow the decision making process to progress appropriately."

The next licensing meeting has been scheduled for Thursday at Burnley Town Hall from 6.30pm.