Hull city centre store handed warning over out of hours alcohol sales

A Hull city centre mini market has been given an official warning after alcohol was sold there after hours, including to the homeless.

Hull City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee handed the owners of Day Today, on Silver Street, with the warning after Humberside Police lodged a complaint over the sales.

The committee decided to issue the warning instead of revoking the shop’s licence after its owner admitted to failures from him and other staff members.

Paul Holland, the store’s legal representative, told the committee the sales took place while the owner Christopher Stanley was recovering from a motorcycle accident.

Mr Holland added the sales did not reflect the owner’s or staff members’ compliance with the licence and co-operation with police before and after Mr Stanley’s absence.

The legal representative requested that the committee give the owners a warning instead of revoking the license.

The committee heard alcohol was sold outside of the shop’s licensed hours 30 times in 11 days in January and February. The shop’s licence allows it to sell alcohol until 10pm.

One sale, made on January 24 at around 11.40pm, was to a man that police described as a “prolific street beggar.”

CCTV footage from the store also showed staff changing coins into pound notes, with police claiming that the notes were then used to buy drugs.

Footage also showed Robert Ellis, a shop assistant who covered night shifts while Mr Stanley was off, selling lager to a female customer at around 11pm on January 31.

Mr Ellis could be seen to hesitate after noticing a police van outside the shop. He then put the cans of Amstel beer into a blue plastic bag and made the sale after it left, police said.

Humberside Police said this showed a “clear and blatant” disregard for its licence conditions.

Mr Holland told the committee staff that normally worked morning shifts were asked to work at night after Mr Stanley’s accident.

These staff were not trained on licencing and were not aware the store could not sell alcohol after 10pm, Mr Holland added.

Mr Holland said: “We apologise wholeheartedly for what’s happened. This has given my client many sleepless nights.

“If you look at what was going on before the sales started in January then there’s no problem.

“And since they’ve happened my client has put his house in order.”

“My client would have to take any punishment the committee chooses. But we’re also talking about the livelihoods of six people working there.”

Mr Holland said the store also previously co-operated with the police to help tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.

The police’s claim that notes changed for coins were then used to buy drugs could not be proved because there was no clear evidence, Mr Holland added.