Two-week booze ban for Barnoldswick store (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Two-week booze ban for Barnoldswick store

10:30am Friday 18th December 2009

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By Peter Magill »

A STORE has been given a two-week booze ban after being criticised by councillors for selling alcohol to underage customers.

Police had hauled bosses at the Happy Shopper, in Coates Avenue, Barnoldswick, before Pendle Council’s licensing committee after the premises failed three test purchasing operations in 14 months.

But licence holder Sikander Nawaz, of Clifton Road, Reedley, claimed he had been let down by staff, two of whom had been sacked as a result of the failures.

Richard Williams, representing Lancashire Police, told the committee that the shop had failed ‘sting’ operations in August and November 2008, and October 2009.

The last ‘sting’ saw a 16-year-old boy go into the Happy Shopper and select four cans of export-strength lager, a packet of crisps and a bottle of Vimto.

Councillors heard that the shop assistant was on the phone at the time but asked the young man for a form of identification.

The boy handed over a passport, with a date of birth in 1993, but the assistant just glanced at it before completing the sale.

Mr Williams said the police were not asking for the store’s licence to be permanently revoked but the incident with the passport showed their approach to under-age sales was “sloppy”.

Gill Sherratt, representing Mr Nawaz said her client had run the Happy Shopper for five-and-a-half years and, up until 2008, had been regarded as a responsible trader.

Following the first test purchasing failure a staff member, who had completed certificated licensing training, had been dismissed.

The same thing happened after a second staff member, trained internally, was caught out.

Mr Nawaz told councillors that on the third occasion he had been in Pakistan and had been calling the store to check up on his business when the sale occurred.

He said: “No one can now use the telephone while a customer is in the shop, even if I am ringing them, they must end the call until the person is served.”

The committee, chaired by Coun Linda Crossley, imposed the fortnight alcohol sales restriction, alongside a series of conditions designed to ensure staff are properly trained to avoid future underage sales.

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