West Bromwich shop loses license after selling knife to a teen and finding illegal items including 5,000 Viagra pills.
Mandeep Sharma owns Hill Top Supermarket. Sandwell Council revoked his shop’s license after finding illegal items last year. The council was “astounded” at the hearing.
During a trading standards sting, a 15-year-old easily bought knives, and was not asked for ID. Police were horrified by Sharma’s lack of legal knowledge.
Police found illegal cigarettes, strong vapes, and illicit alcohol in the store. Trading standards did another sting later. They also found Viagra and fake prosecco, and the shop sold a knife to the 15-year-old again.
Sharma broke down at the hearing, claiming he wasn’t making much money. He denied most illegal items were his, stating the cigarettes were in the ceiling from previous owners. He said the Viagra was for personal use, claiming he ordered one box, but many came; almost 5,000 pills were present.
Cllr Jag Singh was “astounded” by this explanation and suggested Sharma see his doctor. Adding to his ignorance, Sharma didn’t know about Challenge 25 and had never read his license rules.
The license required him to report illegal goods and prohibited buying from door-to-door sellers. He broke both rules. He thought banned tobacco was safe to sell, unaware that smuggled goods were illegal. Nicola Stansbie wanted his license revoked.
Cllr Richard Jeffcoat said Sharma had “bad luck,” noting the extensive presence of illegal, allegedly unsellable items. Cllr Singh highlighted many problems, including unlabeled alcohol, illegal cigarettes, and an excessive amount of medicine for personal use.