Rossendale shop owner accused of selling vapes to under 18s

A shop owner looking for a new premises licence in Rossendale has been accused of selling vapes to under 18s.

A hearing is being held by the Council this week for Ibra Superstore at 34 Burnley Road, Bacup.

The site has been subject to various licensing changes and concerns in recent years. In the past, it was called Bacup Wines.

An Ibra company director, Ibrahim Mohammad, wants a premises licence, allowing alcohol sales and opening hours from 8am to 11pm, seven days a week. He already has a personal licence. But he is also accused of licensing breaches and involved in separate court proceedings, according to council reports.

Councillors on Rossendale’s licensing sub-committee are being told a premises licence for the Burnley Road site was originally granted in 2013. But last year, in January 2023, police submitted a request to review it. At the time, the shop was called Bacup Wines.

In February 2023, an application to transfer the premises licence from a previous holder, Zahoor Ahmed, was submitted by Ahsia Kauser to the council. However in March 2023, councillors heard evidence of ‘repeated incidents of under-age sales of alcohol and vapes to children’. They refused Ms Kauser’s transfer application and also revoked the shop’s premises licence.

In the new bid for a premises licence, Ibrahim Mohammad is also proposed as the designated premises supervisor. His application has been put together with an agent. It says the shop will install a CCTV system, keep an incident log and a refusals record, check customers’ ages, display information about staff and give staff regular training.

However, Lancashire Trading Standards has written to Rossendale Council with concerns. Jason Middleton, a trading standards officer, states: “Ibra Superstore Ltd was incorporated as a company in April 2023. Since then, trading standards have received 11 complaints relating to under-age sales of age-restricted products and carried out visits.

“On June 6, 2023, an inspection found 34 non-compliant vapes which were seized. Ibrahim Mohammad was present. He was given advice on vapes and he signed the seized items over for destruction. The vapes breached the requirements, which include a 2ml limit on the quantity of nicotine containing liquid. All the items seized were in excess of this.

“On August 1, 2023, trading standards provided the owner with advice to prevent under-age sales. A Check 25 pack was left with staff guidance, example training records, refusals logs and posters. But on August 16, trading standards carried out a test purchase where an ‘Elf Bar’ vape was sold to a 14-year-old by the father of the owner.

“When officers entered the shop, the father was attempting to leave with a carrier bag containing 10 illegal vapes. The seller and Ibrahim Mohammad were invited to attend training courses but they did not respond. Invitations were sent by letter, emails and phone calls.”

On September 5, 2023, an inspection found no illegal goods but there were no staff training records, no refusals log and no Check 25 posters displayed.

Then on March 26 this year, a further test purchase saw an illegal Hayati Pro Max vape sold to a 13-year-old by Ibrahim Mohammad. Eleven illegal vapes were seized behind the counter.

The report adds: “Mr Mohammad confirmed the seized vapes were for sale. He claimed to have purchased them from ‘a man in a car’. He said he was distracted on his phone so did not ask the 13-year-old for ID. He claimed not to have received the letter inviting him to training.”

Rossendale councillors will consider the application on Thursday, October 24.