Second shop in a week could lose its alcohol licence after underage sales
A second Birmingham shop in the space of a week could lose its licence after being caught selling alcohol to underage girls.
One Stop Food and Wine on Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, is due before the council’s licensing committee next week after selling a bottle of VK to two undercover teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, back in October.
This is the second shop to come before the council’s licensing committee in the space of just a few days, with nearby Super Choice News and Booze in Perry Barr also facing the loss of its licence after selling a bottle of WKD to a 15-year-old girl.
Both West Midlands Police and Trading Standards are calling for the licence to be revoked following the incident.
Police said in a statement: “On Wednesday 27th October 2021, Trading Standards conducted a city-wide enforcement exercise to ensure that traders were compliant with the current legislation with regard to age restricted sales.
“At approximately 11.12am two female volunteers aged 15 and 16 were instructed to enter the premises of One Stop Food and Wine … and attempt to purchase a bottle of alcohol from the premises.
“The two volunteers who were not wearing face masks, entered the store, walked over to the alcohol display shelving and selected a bottle of Blue Alcohol mix.
“The volunteers paid £2.79 after which they left the premises.
“The sale was observed by Trading Standards Enforcement Officer Paul Ellson who states that at no time were the two girls asked for any identification confirming their ages and no Challenge 21 or 25 was carried out.
“After the sale had been concluded officers Ellson and Williams, a Trading Standards officer, went back into the shop.
“Officer Ellson identified the seller … the same person who had sold the bottle of VK blue alcohol mix (which contains 4% alcohol per volume) to the two volunteers.”
The licensing committee will consider the application next Monday.
