Belle Vue Convenience Store lost its alcohol license after selling unsafe counterfeit vodka and illegal vapes.
Trading Standards visited the store. They found five bottles of fake vodka on sale, each 35cl. Tests showed it was unsafe to drink because the substance in it was dangerous.
Inspectors then searched the shop more thoroughly. They discovered 194 illegal vapes hid around the place. These were found in different spots.
The Hartlepool Council made the call to revoke the license, following a request from Trading Standards. Alcohol sales are now prohibited for this store.
The inspections happened all over town, following an alert about fake alcohol from the Food Standards Agency. The store used to sell alcohol daily.
Mr. Amandip Singh Kapoor, who holds the store’s alcohol license, spoke about the issue. He said he bought the vodka legally and claimed he did not know the vapes were illegal.
Councillor Gary Allen talked about the decision, emphasizing that public safety is important. He said shops selling fake alcohol face consequences and risk losing their license completely.
The fake vodka posed a serious risk. Sales of counterfeit goods hurt real businesses and impact the local economy. Public safety really matters to the council.