Traders fined over 335 bottles of fake booze

Balraj Dhaliwal and Ravinder Dhaliwal worked at Booze King Select in Upper St John Street, Lichfield.

They were fined £220 each for selling 335 bottles of non-duty paid counterfeit Glens vodka and High Commissioner whisky. Balraj, 33 and of Shady Lane, Great Barr, and Ravinder, 32 of Birmingham Road, Walsall, both admitted offences relating to Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

They were both also each ordered to pay £200 costs each.

Also appearing at Stafford Magistrates Court yesterday was Kuldip Bassi Singh, who was fined £4,000 after selling fake vodka described as "poison in a bottle".

The spirit, labelled as non-existent brand Drops, contained the banned substance chloroform.

It was on sale at 2 K's Convenience Store in Chadsmoor, Cannock. Singh had two bottles of the vodka seized from his store by trading standards officers on October 20 last year.

Mr Khalid Mahmood, prosecuting on behalf of the council said: "Although it was only a small bottle of vodka it effectively had poison in the bottle as it was contaminated with chloroform.

Responsible

"This is a banned carcinogenic chemical which could have very serious consequences if consumed and even killed someone.

"It was irresponsible to take the product in, as way of settling a debt with a customer, you did not exercise due diligence and you are ultimately responsible for that."

Singh, aged 42, of Cannock Road, pleaeded guilty to offences under the Food Safety Act 1990. He was also ordered to pay £805 costs alongside his fine.

Staffordshire County Council said the prosecutions formed part of its continuing efforts to stamp out the sale of counterfeit alcohol.

Councillor Pat Corfield, cabinet member for communities, said: "We want people to be aware of the potential effects on health if it is drunk."