A string of enforcement actions across England has seen a bid to resume alcohol sales at a Reading convenience store blocked, while three other shops have been ordered to close over the sale of illicit tobacco, vapes and other illegal goods. A bid to resume alcohol sales at a convenience store where a failed asylum seeker was found working illegally has been blocked.
In Reading, authorities rejected an application to restore an alcohol licence at M&M Food & Wine after a failed asylum seeker was found working illegally at the premises, while the applicant also faced objections over previous convictions linked to counterfeit alcohol and tobacco offences.
Meanwhile, shops in Evesham and Ringwood have been hit with closure orders following enforcement operations that uncovered thousands of pounds worth of illegal tobacco, vapes and other non-compliant products.
According to a BBC report, the former manager of M&M Food & Wine, in Wokingham Road, Reading, lost his licence to sell alcohol after a Nepalese worker was found there by council officers in June. The man arrived in the country without legal authorisation and had claimed asylum but that was rejected and he was liable for deportation.
Another businessman, Kulwant Singh Gaba, had applied to sell alcohol at the shop from 07:00 until 00:00 every day. But authorities opposed his application following previous offences relating to alcohol and tobacco.
Reading Borough Council's licensing team, environmental health department, Trading Standards and Thames Valley Police all objected to that application, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Ian Savill, the council's principal Trading Standards officer, said Gaba had previous convictions for the sale of counterfeit alcohol in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and rule breaches for the sale of tobacco.
The council's licensing application's sub-committee rejected the application at a meeting on Thursday.
Elsewhere in Evesham, a high street shop has been boarded up after the business was caught with more than £8,000 of illegal goods.
Evesham Mini-market was the latest of three shops in Evesham to be given three-month closure orders after multiple visits and test purchases saw the seizure of £8,683.80 worth of illegal vapes, cigarettes, and tobacco from the store.
Other closure orders have also been given to Pershore Home Store on Broad Street, International Mini Market on Port Street, and Super Mini Market on Port Street.
A Ringwood shop has been ordered to close for three months after a 13-month operation uncovered repeated sales of illegal tobacco and vape products. H&A Mini-Market on High Street was served with a 48-hour closure notice by police and trading standards on Monday, August 17.
Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court has now granted a full closure order, meaning the shop must remain closed until Thursday, November 19. The action followed evidence gathered by Ringwood neighbourhood police team and Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards during a joint operation.
Officers carried out enforcement visits in July 2025, November 2025 and May this year, with counterfeit or illicit goods seized on each occasion.
During the latest visit, three packets of tobacco, 11 pouches of non-compliant nicotine and around 30 food and drink products with labelling issues were seized. Police said the closure application was also supported by information from Ringwood residents about anti-social behaviour and the shop being frequented by school-aged children.
PC Ian Bigland said: "This shop has persistently stocked and sold illegal cigarettes and vapes, so we are very pleased to get this closure order in place to prevent further sales of potentially dangerous tobacco and vape products.