A corner shop in Hartlepool is stripped of its alcohol license for selling counterfeit vodka unfit for consumption.
Council officials found it at Belle Vue Convenience Store. The council’s committee then removed the license after Trading Standards requested this action. The license allowed alcohol sales from morning until night almost every day.
Checks happened at shops across town following a fake alcohol alert. The officers found five bottles of fake vodka and that they were openly selling it. Tests found a dangerous substance in the vodka that made it unfit for people to drink.
They also found illegal vapes, with 194 hidden around the shop. Amandip Singh Kapoor, who ran the shop, said he bought the vodka legally. He claimed he did not know about the vapes.
A council member spoke after the meeting. He said selling alcohol carries responsibility, and shops must protect public safety and prevent crime. Selling fake alcohol means losing the license, as the vodka was dangerous. Fake products put lives at risk. Counterfeit sales hurt honest businesses and also harm the local economy, he added.