Council suspends Wood Green shop’s alcohol licence

Councillors have agreed to suspend a shop’s alcohol licence after it was caught selling wine to a 16-year-old.

Haringey Council’s licensing subcommittee imposed the three-week licence suspension on Oz Sultan in High Road, Wood Green.

The decision, which is subject to appeal, comes after a 16-year-old was sold wine during a test purchase exercise in the shop in August last year. Two months later, non-duty paid cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco were found on the premises.

The council’s trading standards department had recommended suspending the licence, citing concerns over the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm.

In a statement issued on Wednesday following a hearing last week, the committee said it “considered revocation or a lengthy suspension of the licence” but also took into account “the representations made by the licence holder and gave him credit for trying to turn things around”.

The committee acknowledged that a lengthy suspension would have “a very negative financial impact” on the family-run business, which “derives its main revenue from alcohol sales”.

It added that a three-week suspension “would give the licence holder an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to promote the licensing objectives”

The statement continues: “The committee could not stress enough how seriously the prevention of crime and disorder and protection of children from harm licensing objectives had been undermined and therefore imposes the suspension to deter the licence holder from allowing similar breaches in future.”

The decision is subject to appeal and does not take effect until the 21-day appeal period elapses or an appeal is dispensed with.