Northampton shop stripped of alcohol licence over illegal cigarettes and vapes
Euro Star Minimarket on Wellingborough Road faces revocation of its licence
A Northampton shop has been stripped of its alcohol licence following the discovery of hundreds of illegal cigarettes and vapes on the premises.
Euro Star Minimarket, located at 202 Wellingborough Road, was initially visited by trading standards officers in collaboration with Northamptonshire Police in March this year.
A test purchase revealed a packet of cigarettes sold for £4.
Later that day, officers observed suspicious activity involving a male and a white VW vehicle parked outside the store, prompting intervention.
They found over 500 packets of illegal cigarettes and 83 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco on the vehicle's rear seat.
Additionally, 198 illegal vapes were discovered behind the shop's counter.
On 17th August, West Northamptonshire Council convened a licensing panel to review the circumstances surrounding the shop.
This meeting aimed to determine whether the store should retain the licence allowing alcohol sales from 8am to 11pm, seven days a week.
The licence had already been suspended due to unpaid annual fees.
Councillors heard details of another trading standards visit to the shop in June, where a packet of illegal Esse cigarettes was purchased for £5.
Following the test purchase, officers found an empty concealed storage area at the store's rear, but no illegal items.
Northamptonshire Police estimated the first raid's seized cigarettes had a legitimate retail value of around £11,458.
These included counterfeit packets, foreign-labelled cigarettes avoiding duty, cheap whites, and counterfeit tobacco pouches.
During the sub-committee meeting, the visits were recounted by Northamptonshire Police’s Alcohol Licensing Officer.
The Euro Star convenience store did not make any representation on the day.
The licensing authority reported attempts to contact Ilze Kadere, the premises licence holder, had gone unanswered.
Ultimately, the sub-committee resolved to revoke the premises licence.