Bucks shop licence under review after selling illegal tobacco
The shop was previously busted for selling unlicensed alcohol
Last updated 2nd Jun 2021
The shop's permit is now being reviewed after one of its workers was convicted for selling illegal tobacco products to a consumer watchdog.
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards has applied to Bucks Council for a review of the premises licence at High Wycombe Food and Wine, 180 Desborough Road.
The review comes after the sale and subsequent seizure of illegal tobacco products from the premises in December 2019.
A van parked outside the shop containing 188 packets of cigarettes and 76 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco (3,800 grams) was registered to Mr Surjan Singh Sethi, of Lynhurst Crescent, Hillingdon.
Although he denied selling the tobacco products to the test purchaser in December 2019, he did confirm that only he and his brother Mr Jaswin Singh Sethi, of Mornington Road, Greenford, work in the shop and are partners.
At High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, on February 17, Mr Surjan Singh Sethi pleaded guilty to eight offences.
He received a £230 fine for each offence.
A Trading Standards officer said:
“We do not have any evidence that Jaswin Singh Sethi was involved in the supply of these illegal tobacco products.”
The premises licence review is ‘on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder’.
Illegal tobacco sales
“Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards made a test purchase of illegal tobacco products from the premises in December 2019,” wrote an officer for Trading Standards.
“The test purchaser went into the premises and asked for cheap tobacco. A price of £6.50 was agreed per packet of cigarettes and an agreement was made for the purchase of six packets of 20 cigarettes.
“The test purchaser paid the shop occupier and was then told to stand outside the front of the shop by the bus stop.
“The shop occupier went outside the premises to a van parked outside the front of the shop to obtain the tobacco products.
“The van storing the illegal tobacco products was registered to Mr Surjan Singh Sethi.
“Following on from this test purchase, Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards visited the premises in December 2019 and seized a quantity of illegal tobacco products.
“A total of 188 packets of 20 cigarettes and 76 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco (3,800 grams) were found in the same van parked outside the front of the shop.
“Mr Surjan Singh Sethi was the only person in the premises when this visit was carried out and initially denied that the van outside the premises was his and refused to provide the keys to Trading Standards officers.