Convenience store to have licence reviewed

The shop will be the subject of the hearing on 19 August

A town's convenience store faces a licence review as police allege it sold alcohol to a drunk homeless man and is "associated with handling stolen goods".

Eats & Drinks in King Street, Weymouth, will be the subject of a Dorset Council hearing.

Dorset Police said it had "no confidence" in its manager upholding previously agreed licensing conditions.

Manager Naguleswaran Jayasuthan said he would "never jeopardise his livelihood" by breaking them.

Mr Jayasuthan has held the shop's premises licence to sell alcohol from 07:00 to 23:00 since 2005.

Officers did not believe he was upholding the law, said the force.

It said concerns were highlighted after incidents allegedly involving stolen goods and serving the drunk man in May.

In a submission on Mr Jayasuthan's behalf, he said he was not at the shop when both incidents happened.

He said he confronted staff following the alleged stolen goods incident and that shop staff had refused to sell alcohol to the homeless man.

He said he assumed both cases would result in no further action because he had not heard from authorities.

A total of 13 people have written to the council to support Mr Jayasuthan.

Many said they had been long-standing customers, had never seen anything untoward at the shop and that it was an asset to the community.

The case will be heard by Dorset Council's licensing sub-committee on 19 August.