A convenience store and off-licence in Clacton that allegedly employed an illegal worker and sold illicit tobacco has had its premises licence revoked after repeatedly breaching its licensing conditions.

139 Old Road, which also trades as Clacton Local, faced a hearing on Monday, 17 March, after Tendring District Council (TDC) licensing enforcement officers applied for a review of the shop’s licence.

TDC’s Premises / Personal Licences Sub-Committee heard that officers visited the shop five times between September and January, finding breaches such as selling single cans of super strength alcohol, incorrectly displaying its premises licence and CCTV signage, failing to have two staff members present when alcohol was on sale, and not keeping a refusals log or incident book.

The hearing heard that several incidents of violence, theft, and disorder were reported to Essex Police, including an attempted robbery on September 21.

The licence review was also supported by the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement and Essex Trading Standards.

On February 28, immigration officers allegedly found an illegal worker stacking shelves during an enforcement visit. A Civil Penalty Referral Notice was served and the matter is under consideration.

Trading Standards reported that 30 packets of illicit tobacco were seized on December 3, though licence holder Suresh Theivendram claimed ten packs were his personal cigarettes. The matter has been referred to HMRC.

Alleged illicit high-capacity disposable vapes were also reportedly found in October and December, and despite being advised to remove them from sale, further high-capacity vapes ranging up to 20,000 puffs - 20 to 30 times the permitted amount - were discovered in February.

The report added that the shop was given ample opportunity and “copious amounts of advice” to address the breaches but continued to “undermine licensing objectives”.

Jo Henderson, chairman of the sub-committee, said: “We take the responsibility to uphold licensing objectives very seriously and gave careful consideration to this application for review as well as the representations made by Mr Theivendram.

“We found that the licensing objectives in respect to prevention of crime and disorder and public safety had been breached, following which the sub-committee decided to revoke the premises licence.”

Mr Theivendram, who started the business in 2012, said shop sales were “struggling” due to increased local competition and that he could not afford two staff members at one time. He also claimed the man found in the shop was not working but was helping out.

He has taken measures to comply with some conditions, including displaying the premises licences and CCTV notices, and arranging for a refusal log.

Aggrieved parties have the right of appeal to the Magistrates’ Court.

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