A shop’s drinks licence is under threat after a staff member served 16-year-olds on separate occasions and the business breached other related rules.
Sussex Police have asked for Wild Park Local, in Barcombe Road, Moulsecoomb, to lose its licence at a review hearing in the coming week.
The request comes after staff sold alcohol to 16-year-olds during test purchases six months apart.
A report going before a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel on Wednesday (2 March) said that a fixed penalty notice was first issued to a member of staff who sold a bottle of rose wine to a 16-year-old girl last June.
After the sale, the business’s designated premises supervisor (DPS), Mahendra Kumar Patel, was sent a formal written letter.
In July, the DPS was changed from Mr Patel, who is also the premises licence holder, to Vaishali Patel.
Additional conditions were added to the licence in July. They included an end to sales of strong beer and cider.
On Thursday 9 December, a 16-year-old boy bought a can of Country Choice Dry Apple Cider from the same member of staff who made the sale in June.
A licensing check at the shop carried out at the same time found strong cider on sale and other rule breaches.
When licensing officers visited the business to collect security camera footage 20 days after it was requested, they found that the strong cider was still on sale.
Miss Patel said in emails to police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst that she was trying to let the information about the test purchase “sink in” and did not want the premises to lose its alcohol licence.
Inspector Michelle Palmer-Harris said: “Sussex Police do not feel this premises have responded to our stepped approach and have failed under-age test purchases on two separate occasions involving the same member of staff.
“This is a serious concern, undermining the licensing objective of protection of children from harm, and further action should be considered.
“Due to the presence of conditions, added on Friday 23 July 2021, that are already aimed at preventing the sale of alcohol to under-age persons and the lack of management action to adhere to the licence conditions, it is difficult to see what further conditions or other measures could be adopted.
“The recommendation of Sussex Police would be the revocation of the premises licence.”
The virtual licensing panel hearing is due to start at 10am on Wednesday (2 March) and is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
