Bradford shop’s licence revoked over illegal cigarettes, laughing gas

A Bradford shop, that sold bogus cigarettes and laughing gas which were dropped via a hidden chute from a flat above, has been stripped of its licence.

Hundreds of illegal goods were seized in a raid in November 2022 from Jimmy Stores in Bradford. In a follow-up visit in March a chute was found in a wall linking the shop to a flat where the items were held, West Yorkshire Trading Standards said.

It said owner Taha Ali Said had shown “blatant disregard” for the law.

Bradford council’s licensing panel was told the 24-hour off licence on Great Horton Road, which is a short distance from the university, had become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.

In total, 1,234 counterfeit cigarettes, 21 boxes of nitrous oxide canisters and more than 50 pouches of illicit rolling tobacco were seized by officers on both visits. Non-compliant vapes were also found in the shop, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors heard trading standards officers bought a packet of fake cigarettes from the shop in a test purchase in October that led to the raid in November.

David Mullins, representing West Yorkshire Trading Standards, told the panel the chute was found during a follow up visit on March 8.

He said officers along with police, visited the flat and found counterfeit cigarettes and boxes of “Smartwhip nitrous oxide”.

“This is illegal to be sold for recreational use,” Mr Mullins said. “Between the two visits the aggravating circumstances was the introduction of the chute.”

He said the offences were “extremely serious.”

Councillor Nazam Azam told the meeting there were “queues at three in the morning” of people wanting nitrous oxide and he had received complaints about “rowdy behaviour”.

Asif Iqbal, from the Grantham Residents’ Association, said, “Residents have experienced a massive amount of anti-social behaviour outside this shop. If we try to move people on they get aggressive. There are [nitrous oxide] canisters everywhere. They have to be cleaned up every day.”

Before the business’ alcohol licence was revoked, Mr Said told the panel: “I’m sorry about everything – I can only apologise.”