Wolverhampton convenience shop loses licence after councillors reject owner's ‘absurd’ defence for breaches

Bobbies News and Off Licence in Prestwood Road, Wolverhampton, had its licence revoked by Wolverhampton Council after a hearing found the shop had continued to display and sell alcohol without permission despite several warnings.

The council’s licensing committee rejected the “absurd” defence by shop owner Manjit Singh Dhillon that duty-free cigarettes found at the shop during a search were for personal use when they were on display with other cigarettes and priced up for sale.

The council was also concerned that single cigarettes were being sold to nearby schoolchildren.

Several ‘strong’ warnings from the council about the display and sale of alcohol were ignored and Mr Dhillon was told he had “ample opportunity” to correct the errors, the committee said.

The council said Mr Dhillon was in a position of responsibility and “if he wasn’t able to properly manage the premises due to his personal circumstances, he should have taken other action".

At the hearing on August 6, Mr Dhillon was said to be “deeply regretful” over the licence breaches and illicit items but he claimed they were mistakes made during an “extremely challenging personal time”

The hearing heard how Mr Dhillon’s brother died in 2023 – a bereavement that not only affected his wellbeing but added more pressure as he juggled supporting his grieving father and running his business.

Mr Dhillon would often offer free cigarettes to customers who were unable to buy them, while the now illegal vapes were bought ‘in good faith’ and Mr Dhillon was told they were legal and suitable for sale.

Issues would have been resolved “much earlier” if the council had provided a list of requirements for the licence, Mr Dhillon’s legal representative said, as he was often left in a cycle of “meeting one requirement only to be met with further unexpected steps".

According to the council’s records, the off-licence had not named a supervisor since 2023, which meant it was not permitted to sell alcohol under the conditions of its licence.

Duty-free cigarettes and illegal oversized vapes were also found at the shop during searches by council staff.

A report published by the council said the shop’s previous supervisor withdrew from the licence in 2023 and one had not been named since.

The council had visited the Heath Town shop in April and found its licence was not on display and could not be found by the owner, Manjit Singh Dhillon.

An undercover member of staff was sold a bottle of gin a day after the off-licence was told it should not be displaying alcohol. This had followed several earlier warnings that alcohol should not be displayed or sold until a supervisor was named on the licence.

Bobby’s News and Off Licence was included in a round of inspections by the council 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.