Wolverhampton shop could lose licence over gin sting and illegal vapes
A shop could lose its licence after being caught with illegal vapes and cigarettes and selling alcohol without permission.
Bobbies News and Off Licence in Prestwood Road, Wolverhampton, will face a review hearing by Wolverhampton Council after it was caught breaking the conditions of its alcohol licence.
According to the council’s records, the off-licence, near the city’s New Cross Hospital, has not had a named supervisor since 2023 which meant it was not permitted to sell alcohol until one was nominated.
Duty-free cigarettes and illegal, oversized vapes were also found at the shop during searches by council staff.
The review has been pushed by Wolverhampton Council’s trading standards team who have asked the committee to consider revoking the licence when it meets on Wednesday (August 6).
A report published ahead of the meeting said the shop's licence was transferred to current owner Manjit Singh Dhillon in 2019 with Kokila Keshavbhai Patel listed as supervisor.
Kokila Keshavbhai Patel withdrew consent in 2023 which meant alcohol could not be served from the shop as a supervisor must be named as part of the shop’s licence and the shop has not had a designated supervisor since.
The council also said it received a complaint from a customer in July 2024 after a packet of duty-free cigarettes was sold to a representative at the normal retail price.
The council visited the Heath Town shop in April and found its licence was not on display and could not be found by owner Manjit Singh Dhillon.
A report by Wolverhampton trading standards said an environmental health officer had visited the shop and said they were “concerned” by Mr Dhillion ‘making a gesture’ towards a customer when refusing to sell them cigarettes in front of them.
The report went on to say that a licensing officer returned a week later to find alcohol was still on display, despite the earlier warning.
The council officer was then told by a staff member when questioned that the shop did not sell alcohol despite it still being displayed.
Another council officer returned to the shop a day later and was able to buy a bottle of gin.
The council said Bobby’s News and Off Licence was included in a round of inspections in late April with officers this time finding 24 packets of illegal cigarettes and more than 130 oversized vapes with Mr Dhillon telling the council the cigarettes were duty-free bought by his son on holiday a week earlier.
Mr Dhillon had told the council his son Harvinder was in the process of getting a new copy of the licence. The report also said the council received a call from ‘Harvey’ who wanted his duty-free cigarettes back and his tone was “confrontational, accusatory and overbearing".
Wolverhampton Council’s licensing committee meets at the Civic Centre on August 6 to make a decision.
