Islington corner shop faces closure over crack pipe discount offers

An Islington corner shop that offers discounts on crack pipes for multiple purchases is facing the revocation of its licence.

Singhsburys on Seven Sisters Road is also accused by police of displaying bottles of poppers, disguised as room odorisers, next to children’s sweets, and stocking “multiple models” of cannabis grinders, including one based on a woman’s breast kept next to the till.

Licence holder Taranjeet Singh Gulati will face councillors at a review of his licence on 6 February.

Police have informed the Town Hall that the store continues to sell a “whole range of products that are not suitable to be stocked in any premises licensed by Islington Council”.

On 8 January, the Islington Police licensing team wrote to Gulati: “The premises has failed to meaningfully engage with Licensing Police since initial contact [in March 2019] in regards to the stocking of drug-related paraphernalia by way of self-assembly glass crack pipes, multipacks of drug themed self-seal baggies, and cannabis grinders and bongs for retail sale on licensed premises operating as a convenience store with off-licence facilities on a major thoroughfare with high footfall and near to a busy bus stop and school premises.

“It has not even to our knowledge made any claim or defence, even if inappropriate given the range and quantity available , that they were stocked for any kind of novelty or joke purposes.

“In addition, your store is situated in a very sensitive area of the borough and you are simply exploiting persons at risk for your profit. As you were clearly advised by the police in April about this, you appear to have no intention of removing this stock.”

The police complain elsewhere in the report that the amyl nitrate bottles sold as air fresheners sport “unusual” brand names, including ‘Throb Hard’, ‘Squirt’, ‘Hard Core’ and ‘Dogs Bollocks’.

An officer added: “The multipack, empty deal bags/baggies for sale with various decals, including cannabis leaf printing in boxes on display behind the counter, are sold with no wrapping or branding.

“To my untrained eye [these] would be of little use other than to encourage drug dealing or supply.”

Licensing officers first investigated Singhsburys following complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour in the area, and have also censured the licensee over the stocking of illegally untaxed Polish beer.

The store also faces questions over an illegal ‘special treatment’ business operating out of the rear of the building, advertised as ‘Beauty Touch’, as well as concerns over fire safety, with ‘completely unprotected flammable materials’ left among the contents of the shop.

Singhsbury’s will have its licence reviewed on 6 February.