Hyndburn shop to appeal after council revokes licence over underage sale

A shop owner has had his alcohol licence taken away by councillors after they heard his business had often sold booze to under-age customers.

Mohammed Adnan had his permission to sell alcohol at the The Money Saver convenience store in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, revoked by Hyndburn Council’s licensing sub-committee on Thursday (26 August).

The hearing was sparked by an allegation it sold spirits to a vulnerable 14-year-old but the councillors heard that police and local authority officers believed this was not an isolated offence.

Adnan denied selling alcohol to under-18s, and said the alleged sale the teenager in April never took place.

After the meeting at Accrington Town Hall he said he would appeal the decision to magistrates.

Both Sam McConnell, of Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards Department, and the police’s East division licensing sergeant Gary Hennighan urged the committee to take away Adnan’s premises’ licence.

The original complaint was that the 14-year-old had been bought a bottle of vodka and a small bottle of whisky from Money Saver on 14 April.

The youngster alleged the shop worker locked the front door and turned off the CCTV cameras.

McConnell claimed this was just one of several complaints about Money Saver selling alcohol and cigarettes to under age customers.

He told the sub-committee: “The young person’s mother stated that her son and other young people in the area have purchased alcohol from Money Savers on previous occasions. She also stated that her son had told her that other young people had purchased drugs from Money Savers: ‘Ket’, ‘Molly’ and weed in small bags.”

Sgt Hennighan said: “We are aware of three concerning incidents involving children potentially being exposed to harm.”

As well as the alleged April sale, one related to selling alcohol and cigarettes to another 14-year-old in May 2019 and the other a November 2020 complaint from a father that Money Saver repeatedly sold alcohol to children leading to his daughter being taken to a hospital accident and emergency department after drinking too much vodka.

The licensing sub-committee revoked Adnan’s licence for ‘persistent breaches’ of it relating to sales to under-age customers and for failing to produce CCTV footage from the shop on request.

Adnan said: “I deny the allegations. The incident with the 14-year-old in April did not take place.

“I shall appeal.”

McConnell said: “I am pleased.”