Two convenience stores in north Liverpool face being stripped of their premises licences after being shut down by the courts. Closure orders have been sanctioned by magistrates on shops in Norris Green and Old Swan following investigations by Liverpool Council’s trading standards teams.
Closure orders issued by magistrates
A three month closure was agreed upon for a business on Utting Avenue by Wirral Magistrates Court after illegal cigarettes and tobacco were made available for sale. Underage vape sales were also detected.
A similar order has been made for Old Swan Off Licence on Prescot Road. The closure was sanctioned by Liverpool Magistrates’ Court last month.
Costs and court findings
According to Liverpool Council’s licensing team, costs were awarded to the local authority against the Utting Avenue site of more than £2,800.
In the case of Old Swan Off Licence, the court was satisfied “a person has engaged, or is likely to engage, in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour (meaning behaviour that constitutes a criminal offence) on the premises, or the use of the premises has resulted, or is likely to result, in serious nuisance to members of the public, or there has been, or is likely to be, disorder near those premises associated with the use of those premises.”
Next steps for the shops
Magistrates deemed the order to close the shop for a period of three months “was necessary to prevent the behaviour, nuisance or disorder from continuing, recurring or occurring.” Hearings will now be scheduled by Liverpool Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee to determine if they can retain their permission to sell alcohol.
A date has yet to be confirmed for the hearings to take place. Representations can be made to the local authority until October 6.
Any interested party or responsible authority wishing to make representations must do so to the Licensing Authority of Liverpool Council referred to above. It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application punishable with a maximum fine of £5000 on summary conviction.
It was confirmed last month more than 30,000 illegal cigarettes were seized from Tuebrook shops that have since been shut down over illegal sales. L6 Local Store has had a second premises licence stripped in three years after Liverpool Council took action over continued trading of almost 20,000 illicit cigarettes. A second business, The Park Food Store & Off Licence, has also lost its licence after a further 13,000 illegal cigarettes were seized during a swoop by undercover council staff earlier this summer. Both shops are subject to closure orders after in-depth investigations by the authority’s public protection team.
