Shop accused of making ‘mirror application’

A Birmingham shop has been accused by police of making a “mirror application” for permission to sell alcohol after a licence was revoked last month.

A business called A1 Broadnews & Convenience Store has applied for a licence to sell alcohol to customers at a shop in Broadstone Road, Yardley.

But a licensing hearing on 2 June heard the same shop saw its licence revoked by councillors last month.

The shop – which previously had a licence under the name Yardley Cut Price – lost its licence after Trading Standards officers saw staff sell alcohol to a 15-year-old volunteer in February.

The undercover sting was carried out after a mother confronted staff at the shop about alcohol and cigarettes found in her 15-year-old son’s room, which he said had been bought from the shop.

New application from A1 Broadnews & Convenience Store for a licence to sell alcohol was objected to by West Midlands Police and representatives of the city council’s Trading Standards and Licensing Enforcement teams.

PC Abdool Rohomon told councilors that the director of the new company, according to Companies House, is Mir Awais Khan, who police believe was a manager of the premises prior to the new application.

Another man, Abdullah Khan, was premises licence holder when the licence of Yardley Cut Price was revoked last month.

But PC Rohomon said there was a “clear link” between the individuals involved and that this was a “mirror application to put in place something they have just had revoked”.

PC Rohomon said: “It’s clear that you have two other responsible authorities saying they have got concerns around the fact previous management are still involved in this new application.

“Our recommendation is that this application should be refused. It should not be granted.”

Sarah Clover, a lawyer representing the business, said: “This application is being tied to that review application and yet the full details of it are not before this committee which is a muddled way of proceeding.

“My application to the committee today is there is nothing shadowy or behind-the-scenes about this application.”

The licensing sub-committee will make a decision on the application in due course.