'Not going to kill anybody?' clerk asks child before selling knife in Wolverhampton
The Costcutter in Bushbury is to have its licence reviewed.
A shop in Wolverhampton that sold a kitchen knife to a teenager after the assistant asked him ‘you’re not going to kill anybody are you?’ is to have its licence reviewed.
The Costcutter in Bushbury – also known as Premier and Bushbury DIY – had earlier been found to have a stash of 81 illegal e-cigarettes, or vapes, during an inspection carried out by Trading Standards and West Midlands Police.
Officers visited the premises in Bushbury Lane on January 26 and discovered the haul of illicit vapes behind the counter. In a report to licensing bosses, Trading Standards district officer Gurdip Gill said the nicotine e-cigarettes all bore incorrect health warnings.
“They were intended for the American market and exceeded the UK tank size to hold nicotine liquid. They comprised four Elf Bar vapes with a stated capacity of 1,500 puffs, 59 Elpha Bar vapes and two Gobstopper vapes with US health warnings.
“Also, one Bob Marley vape with a stated capacity of 3,500 puffs, two Hipster Max vapes with a stated capacity of 6,000 puffs and 13 Blast Mango vapes with a five per cent nicotine content and incorrect health warnings,” he said.
Sole director of the business and designated premises supervisor (DPS) Mr Shangara Singh Pahal gave his sales assistant permission to voluntarily sign over the illegal vapes to Trading Standards, who issued him with a written warning on January 31.
On February 16, information was received by a community officer at Safer Wolverhampton Partnership suggesting that measures at the store to prevent age-restricted products from falling into the wrong hands may be inadequate. A 13-year-old child had contacted them and said they had been able to take a machete – albeit illegally – from the premises. This information was passed to Trading Standards.
Mr Gill added: “On May 18 Trading Standards and police organised an underage test purchase as part of ‘Operation Sceptre’ to test whether age-verification checks were being carried out by the retailers. The exercise involved an authorised underage volunteer attempting to make knife purchases.
“At approximately 4.20pm on the day, a 17-year-old volunteer authorised by the council entered the premises to attempt to buy a kitchen knife. The child volunteer’s activities inside the shop were witnessed by a plain clothes police officer. After entering the shop the volunteer asked a shop assistant whether they sold kitchen knives,” he said.
“The assistant said ‘you’re not going to kill anybody are you?’ before directing the volunteer to the relevant aisle where the knives were located. After selecting a six-inch black-handled Prima boning knife priced £12.50, the child took the knife to the counter and approached the same shop assistant they had previously spoken to.
“This assistant proceeded to sell the knife and some gum to the child but made no attempt to ask them for their age or for any identification. This volunteer was refused age-restricted products at other shops on the same day.”
On May 24 Trading Standards received a report that a 13-year-old had disclosed to their drugs worker that they regularly bought alcohol from the Premier store, and were also able to obtain it by giving money to adults outside and persuading them to go into the shop.
Further representations expressing concern over upholding the four licensing conditions have been received from licensing section leader Amitabh Singh and senior public health specialist Ryan Hollings.
However, a number of residents have written to the council in Support of Mr Singh Pahal. One said: ” I’ve been using this store for around eight years now and have only seen the utmost strict policies on age-restricted items. I feel they are very responsible as I have seen them question underage people on numerous occasions trying to buy things they shouldn’t.”
Another wrote: “I wish to state with the utmost conviction and sincerity possible, that Mr Shangara and all those employed by him uphold the very highest retail standards. In so far as I have had personal experience of them, they have always fully complied with the law when it comes to the sale of age-restricted items or products.”
Further correspondence said: “After frequenting this premises several times a day for over a decade, I can say that I have never seen anything that has caused me any concern over compliance or retail practices.”
Another resident added: “I have lived in the area for a number of years and rely on the daily use of this shop. I do look young for my age and when I first visited the store they would ask me for ID. The community needs this shop. The owners are a firm fixture here and well-loved as they help the community.”
Following the sale of alcohol from the shop to a child under 18 in 2007, and subsequent prosecution of the premises licence holder at the time Parmajit Singh Pahal in 2008, Trading Standards applied for a review of the premises licence to attach due diligence conditions and reduce the likelihood of underage sales being made, which was granted on January 8, 2009.