Premier 149A on Duke Street has had its premises licence reinstated after it was stripped when staff sold wine and cocktails to teenagers on three separate occasions. Between July 2025 and March this year, workers at the shop failed to challenge children buying alcohol.
Test purchase exposed sales to 16-year-old
On the third occasion, a 17-year-old member of staff said they were “too busy” to check the identification of a 16-year-old girl buying a bottle of wine. She was a volunteer with Liverpool Council’s alcohol and tobacco unit (ATU) carrying out a test purchase.
The former premises supervisor has now been sacked, and company director Mohammed Ba-Azab has had the licence restored. Mr Ba-Azab is listed as a director alongside previous designated premises supervisor (DPS) Mohammed Karim Severa Jagdal.
Appeal against original decision
Committee members were told in May how Mr Ba-Azab would have been named DPS had the licence been allowed to stand. A licensing and gambling sub-committee on Tuesday was told an appeal had been lodged against the original decision to magistrates.
Gill Sherratt, acting on behalf of Mr Ba-Azab, said the renewal was not an attempt to “undermine what had happened at the review” in May and her client recognised the history of what had gone before. She said the business now found itself in a “very different position.”
New management and practices
Mr Ba-Azab said upon taking on the shop, he had dismissed Mr Jagdal alongside two other members of staff linked to the events earlier this year. He said they were now “nothing to do with the operation of the shop” as he needed a “fresh slate to work off.”
The new designated premises supervisor has stepped away from a second store on Bold Street he had been involved in running to take over the Duke Street site. Ms Sherratt said her client had worked in the convenience store trade for more than a decade.
A series of new practices at the business had been put in place, with Mr Ba-Azab adding: “If staff haven’t got the basics, we don’t want to know.”
Objections and outcome
Concerns had been raised by Jenny Coyle of trading standards regarding any new terms and Mr Ba-Azab’s fitness to hold the licence. According to her written objection, Mr Ba-Azab has previously sought to distance himself from the premises and a business linked to him has also had its licence revoked in the past.
Ms Sherratt denied this was the case and accused Ms Coyle of an “ambush” by way of bringing up Mr Ba-Azab’s address. The committee was satisfied by the applicant’s evidence to grant the premises licence.
