Licensing officials have said a convenience store’s sale of vodka to a 12 year old girl after they were told they could be forced to close was ‘disappointing beyond words’.
Mr Kulbir Singh Kapoor was subject to a premises licence review for Brecon Food and Wine in The Parade, Brecon Road, Woodley on May 21.
The review was requested by Trading Standards after evidence was found of the sale of age restricted products to children, the sale of illicit e-cigarettes, counterfeit vodka and possessing duty-evaded alcohol.
In October 2024, 16 bottles of Glens Vodka was seized, which were found to be injurious to health.
A further 12 bottles of Smirnoff Vodka were seized and found to have no duty paid.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) said they had received two reports of incidents involving the sale of products to a 12-year old child on April 17 and 14 year old child in January 2023.
Glenda Cameron-Lloyd from the Public Protection Partnership told a panel of Wokingham Borough Councillors: “A clear picture is presented of the management and operation of the business failing to comply with expectations in the law.”
A letter informing Mr Kapoor of the premises review and allegations was sent on April 11 – 12 days before a staff members allegedly sold vodka and vapes to a 12 year old girl. Mr Kapoor said he was ‘not aware’ of this incident.
Gary Clarke from Thames Valley Police said this ‘clearly highlights the lack of due diligence by the business’.
Regarding the counterfeit vodka, Mr Kapoor’s solicitor Mr Surendra Panchal said the remaining bottles after seizure in October were ‘immediately’ removed.
Mr Kappor said he had bought the product from a man who’s shop was closing down, but that he had ‘learnt his lesson’.
His solicitor argued for a short suspension of the licence, with conditions such as CCTV and a Challenge 25 policy added once reopened.
But licensing officers said both of these were already in place, leaving councillors to question on ‘how this could improve the situation’.
Cllr Rebecca Margetts said: “You’re not actually addressing the actual issue of what’s going on here.
“You can record the practice – but that’s not actually stopping the practice that’s going on, which is happening from the actual staff within the shops.”
Mr Clarke from Thames Valley Police further said the conditions proposed were ‘fairly basic’ which would be expected ‘in any modern convenience store’.
Solicitor Mr Panchal said the store is ‘a critical source of income for Mr Kapoor and his family’ and said revoking the licence would ’cause severe economic hardship’.
Wokingham Borough Council will publish the panel’s decision in five working days.
