A garage that surrendered its licence after claims it was using illegal workers has had it given back as no action is being brought.
The Convenience Store at Fleet Road Garage was re-given its premises licence as South Holland District Council’s Licensing Panel heard yesterday (Wednesday, April 26) that Immigration Enforcement would be taking no action against it following a raid by Lincolnshire Police in October 2022.
Officers seized wine that they said at the time was being sold over the minimum price value in the store but applicant Parathithas Vijayaratnam provided a receipt to show it had been bought legitimately at a cash and carry.
Police also seized what the panel described as ‘vapes that did not comply with legislation’ from a ‘mobile salesman’ selling out of a van.
But following a meeting mostly heard behind closed doors, the panel’s verdict said it ‘did have regard to the point made by the applicant that there is no licensing regime in place regarding vapes’.
“It is expected that the premises will have learned from this experience and such errors will not be repeated in the future.” the verdict signed by committee chair Jack Tyrrell continues: “It may be the case that given the history that the premises will be subject to greater scrutiny.
“The applicant stated that the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) would be working full time in the premises and that the DPS would be living locally in order to be available at the premises.
“The new DPS was not involved with the business when the problems occurred.
“The decision of the panel is to grant the licence but with modified conditions having considered that these conditions put forward are far more exacting than the conditions which existed on the previous licence.
“There is to be a condition that ‘no alcohol to be supplied by or stored at the premises shall be purchased from a mobile salesperson offering to sell alcohol which is immediately available in a stored van’.”
