Off-licence banned from selling alcohol after getting children drunk (From Sutton Guardian)

Mini Superstore Food & Wine in Beddington banned from selling alcohol after getting children drunk

4:00pm Monday 11th February 2013 in News

An off-licence has been banned from selling alcohol after it sold so much drink to school children they nearly had their stomachs pumped.

The Mini Superstore Food & Wine in Croydon Road, Beddington, had its licence revoked for three several breaches - including selling alcohol to boys aged 15 and 16 and then lying to one of the boys' mums.

A licensing hearing at the Civic Offices heard how the Mini Supermarket failed two test purchases - where licensing officers send cadets in to buy alcohol - in February and March last year.

The licensing committee also heard evidence from a mum who had to pick up her drunk teenage son after he bought alcohol from the shop in the summer.

He was so drunk he was sick in the car as she drove him home. The mum later confronted staff at the shop who denied selling her boy alcohol.

The mum of the boy's friend gave written evidence to the hearing and described how she had to keep a vigil at her son's bedside and almost took him to accident and emergency because he drank so much. The boys were aged just 15 and 16.

The Mini Superstore was also found not to have staff trained to use its CCTV system and one of its staff was in breach of his immigration status.

A spokesman for Sutton police's licensing team said: "We will be robust when considering licensing applications as well as making sure licensed premises are complying with the borough’s licensing objectives when they are open.

"We will be taking a zero tolerance approach to any premises that sells alcohol to children."

It is the first time a revocation proposed by police has been upheld in two years.