Off-licence near Bristol stripped of right to sell alcohol after underage vape and booze sales
An off-licence near Bristol lost its license for eight weeks due to repeated sales of vapes and alcohol to minors.Summary
Lexie Local, an off-licence in Chipping Sodbury High Street near Bristol, had its premises licence suspended for eight weeks following multiple instances of selling vapes and alcohol to underage individuals. The situation escalated during the September Mop Fair, which police described as chaotic, leading to numerous complaints. South Gloucestershire Council's licensing sub-committee also removed the boss, Gagandeep Sharma, as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), a role he agreed to relinquish to a replacement who could dedicate more time. Police and Trading Standards noted that previous warnings to Mr. Sharma regarding underage sales had been ignored, suggesting he had lost control of the premises. Mr. Sharma's solicitor admitted that his client's commitments to other premises prevented him from properly discharging his DPS responsibilities at Lexie Local, especially during chaotic events like the Mop Fair, which he accepted as an oversight. The committee concluded that Mr. Sharma lacked consistent supervision and understanding of his responsibilities, justifying the suspension and the removal of the DPS.
(Source：Bristol Post)
