Sheffield shop banned from selling alcohol after discovery of illicit stock

A shop in Sheffield has had its alcohol licence revoked after it was found to be selling illicit goods.
Double Diamond, SheffieldDouble Diamond, Sheffield
Double Diamond, Sheffield

Double Diamond, in Page Hall Road, Page Hall, was found to be selling illicit vodka and cigarettes, for which the duty had not been paid.

They were also lacking the correct labels.

Members of Sheffield Council's licensing sub-committee yesterday decided to revoke the licence held by Sherko Mohammed.

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The shop will now be banned from selling alcohol following a 21-day period in which an appeal can be lodged.

At the hearing, Trading Standards officers presented evidence of the storage and supply of smuggled, illicit tobacco products at the shop.

Statutory health warnings on the cigarettes and tobacco were either missing or inadequate and many were potentially dangerous counterfeits.

Illicit vodka also found on the shelves was non-duty paid and falsely labelled.

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This licensing sub-committed heard that a multi-agency group, involving Trading Standards, Sheffield;s Safeguarding Children Board, South Yorkshire Police and licensing officers, tried to work with Double Diamond to try and bring the business within the law, but illicit vodka was discovered during a spot check.

Councillor Bryan Lodge, cabinet member for the environment at Sheffield City Council, said: “Each and every day our Trading Standards officers and others, both at the council and in partner agencies, work hard to keep the people of Sheffield safe from harm.

“I am pleased that, for the second time in a week, action has been taken to prevent illicit alcohol and cigarettes being sold in the city.

“I also hope that this decision sends a strong message to other business owners who think that they can get away with selling illicit cigarettes and alcohol. We can and will take action, and you could lose your alcohol licence.”

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The loss of tax revenue from smuggled cigarettes and tobacco costs the UK economy between £2 billion and £3 billion each year.

Counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes also have none of the quality control measures put in place by the manufacturers of genuine products.

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