Bristol corner shop 'complicit in assisting crime' banned from selling alcohol after stolen wine found

The International Mini Market on Sandy Park Road in Brislington, which BristolWorld reported on previously, was also found to be selling illegally large vapes.

Avon & Somerset Police urged Bristol City Council to revoke the shop’s licence to sell alcohol, after they discovered several bottles that appeared to have been shoplifted.

Instead, councillors gave the shopkeeper a second chance, during a licensing hearing today (January 9).

Shaho Mohammed, the shopkeeper, claimed the seized bottles of wine and whiskey had been on the shelves from before he took over the store in 2022.

But the police disputed this, as some of the bottles were dated 2023.

David Walker, an Avon & Somerset Police licensing officer, said: “Some bottles had damage consistent with security tags having been forcefully removed.

“By buying and displaying for sale suspected stolen goods, the premises has potentially provided thieves with ready cash, which has incentivised them to commit further crimes.”

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The police and trading standards inspected the International Mini Market last October, when they found four bottles of wine from Sainsbury’s, four bottles of wine from Marks & Spencer, and six bottles of wine from Co-op.

They also found two bottles of Jameson whiskey and one bottle of Famous Grouse whisky, which appeared to have their security seals removed.

Licensed premises, such as corner shops and pubs, must show they are preventing crime and disorder, however, Walker claimed the store was “complicit in assisting crime”.

Another problem were vapes for sale that were 10 times larger than the legal limit, and 161 vapes were seized.

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Jeremy Woodcraft, a licensing solicitor representing the shopkeeper, said: “He had taken the premises over, admittedly some time ago, but that’s the only explanation he can offer for the wine and the spirits that the police found.

“In light of where the store is and the demographics of the customers, the types of wine that were identified aren’t something that was in high demand.

“Therefore they could have been there for some considerable time. Mohammed would say he felt regulations [on vapes] were confusing.

“He purchased the vapes from a number of different sources. There are people who come round in a van selling vapes, which he understood to be legal.

“He also buys from wholesalers; and obviously some are compliant and some are not.”

He added that the seizure of suspected stolen booze and illegal vapes was a “learning experience” for the shopkeeper, who will carry out training on holding a premises licence.

Issues with the CCTV will be fixed, and staff will be trained on challenging people for age verification.

Labour councillor Fabian Breckels, chair of the licensing sub-committee, said: “This is your final warning. “You’ve got a chance to get your house in order, I would urge you to take it.

“Hopefully we won’t see you again, but you can expect the police and trading standards to monitor how things are going.”