Shop stripped of licence over illegal cigarettes

The shop (left) has lost its licence after a council hearing on 6 August

A Wolverhampton shop has been stripped of its licence after it was found to be selling illegal cigarettes and vapes.

Bobbies News and Off Licence in Prestwood Road also continued to display and sell alcohol in breach of its licence conditions despite several warnings, a hearing was told.

City of Wolverhampton Council rejected an "absurd" defence by shop owner Manjit Singh Dhillon that duty-free cigarettes on display with other cigarettes and priced up for sale were for personal use.

Mr Dhillon was "deeply regretful" over the breaches and illicit items but they were mistakes made during an "extremely challenging personal time", the licence hearing was told.

Several "strong" warnings issued by the council about the display and sale of alcohol were ignored and Mr Dhillon was told he had "ample opportunity" to correct the errors, the committee said at the hearing on 6 August.

Mr Dhillon was in a position of responsibility and "if he wasn't able to properly manage the premises due to his personal circumstances, he should have taken other action".

Mr Dhillon's brother died in 2023 – a bereavement that not only affected his wellbeing but added more pressure as he juggled supporting his grieving father and running his business, the hearing was told.

Alcohol license breach

Issues would have been resolved "much earlier" if the council had provided a list of requirements for the licence, Mr Dhillon's legal representative said, as he was often left in a cycle of "meeting one requirement only to be met with further unexpected steps."

Council records showed the off-licence had not named a supervisor since 2023, which meant it was not permitted to sell alcohol under the conditions of its licence.

When inspectors visited the shop they found the duty-free cigarettes and illegal oversized vapes were also found during searches by council staff.

An undercover member of staff was sold a bottle of gin a day after the off licence was told it should not be displaying alcohol.

This had followed several earlier warnings that alcohol should not be displayed or sold until a supervisor was named on the licence.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.