A Weston-super-Mare shop retains its alcohol licence despite police claims of selling to a minor being unsubstantiated
Weston-super-Mare: A local shop is breathing a sigh of relief after a licensing hearing. The Weston Convenience Store was accused of selling alcohol to a 13-year-old girl, but the owner firmly denied it.
Police wanted to revoke the shop’s alcohol licence based on this claim from October 2022. However, they didn’t provide any solid proof, just a statement saying they had visited the shop later. The council decided the shop could keep its licence without any changes.
Rohit Julka, the shop owner, clarified that there was indeed an underage sale, but it was to a 17-year-old guy, not a 13-year-old girl. He mentioned that they’ve been regularly inspected since then, and there haven’t been any issues.
During the hearing, the shop’s lawyer pointed out that no 13-year-old girl had made any purchase. They even showed CCTV footage from the day of the alleged incident, which didn’t support the police’s claims.
There were also accusations about staff letting off fireworks outside the shop, which the police said posed a risk. The shop’s lawyer admitted that it was a bad idea but insisted it wasn’t a licensing issue since the shop was closed at the time.
The licensing committee chair raised concerns about why the police hadn’t properly investigated the fireworks incident. He questioned the lack of interviews or arrests related to it.
Weston Convenience Store is located in a busy area known for street drinking. The police found some alcohol without labels in the shop, but the owner explained it was a one-time issue with new stock. They had spent a good amount on labels to fix it.
While the committee acknowledged some minor breaches, they decided not to revoke the shop’s licence. However, they warned that any future issues could lead to serious consequences.
After the meeting, Julka expressed that the police’s review was based on misunderstandings. He emphasized that just because someone found a can of alcohol doesn’t mean the shop did anything wrong.
He also mentioned that they’ve stopped selling strong alcohol that street drinkers prefer and will continue to do so until they can prove they’re not the source of the problem.
