After two visits to an off licence in Southall, an Ealing Council licensing officer found bags of illicit tobacco products hidden around the shop.

Allenby News on Allenby Road, Southall could have its license revoked tomorrow (6 December) by the licensing sub committee, after a total of 2570 illegal cigarettes and other tobacco products were found on site.

The products seized by Ealing Council amount to over £1225 in unpaid duty.

After receiving information that Allenby News was apparently selling illegal tobacco in its shop, a council licensing officer visited the premises twice.

Shop Assistant, Jugmohan Singh, showed a council officer on 28 February 2020 around the premises where he found a yellow Morrisons bag covered in plastic outside the rear door.

When asked what was inside, Mr Singh said: "Cigarettes."

A plastic container usually used for returning newspapers contained illicit tobacco prodcuts in a Southall off licence (credit: Ealing Council).

Licensing Compliance & Enforcement Officer, Robert Dear, said in his report: "The bag as taken inside, and the contents were counted and found to contain 92 x 20 packets of different brands of cigarettes, 1 x 10 packets of cigarettes, nine x 50g pouches of RYO (roll your own) tobacco and 17 pouches of Indian tobacco."

Mr Dear added: "Whilst making notes the officer noticed Mr Singh fidgeting with something in his pockets, when asked what it was, he removed two x 20 packets of cigarettes."

Three years later on 14 February 2023, council licensing officers visited the shop licensed to Mr Singh after they received more intelligence of illegal tobacco products being hidden around the shop.

In his report, Mr Dear continued: "After explaining the purpose of the visit, he (Jugmohan Singh) was asked if any illicit products were hidden around the shop.

"He denied the allegation and he was told again that if he told the officers where the products were, he would be given a final warning against prosecution."

Behind bags of charcoal, packets containing a total of 680 illegal cigarettes were found in Allenby News (credit: Ealing Council).

The licensing officers found 34 x 20 packets of cigarettes inside a Sainsbury's bag, eight x 50 pouches of RYO tobacco and 14 pouches of Indian tobacco inside a plastic container and nine x 250g unlicensed poppy powder behind charcoal bags.

The Ealing Council licensing team has found that Allenby News is failing "to promote the Prevention of Crime and Disorder Licensing Objective".

Mr Dear said: "These actions undermine the objectives of the authority as a Licensing body and in the area of public health as the availability of cheap tobacco products not only affects the efforts to encourage residents to give up smoking but also makes smoking more accessible to young people.

"It also undermines the taxation and plain packaging objectives to promote smoking cessation. Due to the above incidents, the obvious disregard for the law and the fact that the Premises Licence already has extensive conditions I would ask that the ultimate sanction open to committee be exercised and the Premises Licence be revoked."

To read the full licensing sub-committee agenda reports pack for its meeting on Wednesday, 6 December, click here.

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