Ilkeston off-licence could be barred from alcohol and tobacco sales amid allegations of 'criminal activity'

A town off-licence could be barred from selling alcohol and tobacco products amid allegations of ‘criminal activity’.

Erewash Borough Council is hosting a licensing hearing on Thursday, May 29, into an application for a premises licence for the Ilkeston News off licence in Bath Street, Ilkeston.

A new licensing application has been submitted after borough council officials allegedly caught the store selling alcohol without permission in April.

The store manager had allegedly told Carolyn Singleton, the borough council’s licensing manager, that they did have a licence, but when asked to produce it they showed a basic disclosure and barring certificate, licensing papers state.

Later that same month, Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team carried out a test purchase on electronic vapes and the store failed, with the shop having allegedly sold a vape to a child, documents state.

During that same visit it’s alleged illicit cigarettes were also found under the counter and numerous bottles of spirits were found – with the store not having a licence to sell them, it is claimed.

These three issues have led to “serious concern” from the police, detailing that they have “no confidence” that the prevention of crime, disorder, nuisance and public safety would be maintained by the shop’s management.

They also feel that there is no way to apply restrictions which would enable the shop to sell alcohol and tobacco products and be managed safely.

Police sergeant Matt Duffield said in a police statement: “From a policing perspective, this shop and current keeper would be unsuitable to hold an alcohol license due to [alleged] ongoing criminal activities.”

Following the test purchase, PC Stephenson says the applicant “flat denied” selling tobacco products to underage children.

She detailed: “This is not the first time that Police have had dealings with this shop, albeit with different shop keepers.”

Owen Rees, a county council trading standards officer, wrote in a statement they feared possible alleged criminal activity in the future should a premises licence be granted.

A representative for the shop had told police in an email in April, included in the documents for the upcoming hearing, that the allegations were denied.

The email read: “I have no idea why the police is putting objections on the premises. There is absolutely zero proof of all the objections they are making. Your members of staff advised me to take the alcohol off the shelf until I get a premises licence and I took the alcohol off immediately and they were happy.

“The rest of the objections are totally not fair and they have no proof. They are all false objections.”

The owners could not be reached for comment.