A Gloucester shop has been banned from selling tobacco for three weeks after it was found to be selling illegal cigarettes.
Gloucester City Council’s licensing sub-committee reviewed the premises licence for WAG 3 Mini Market at 38 Bristol Road this week.
Trading Standards officers said test purchases at the shop and CCTV footage over recent months revealed the sale of illegal tobacco products.
Trading Standards said they were also concerned that the shop failed to produce CCTV footage within a reasonable time which is a breach of a condition on the premises licence.
During one of their visits on April 20, a test purchaser asked for cheap Richmond and was reportedly told by the man behind the counter that he did not have any but might have some the following day.
The next day a Trading Standards inspection was carried out at the shop and said they found two packets of illegal cigarettes under the counter, a packet of Richmond and a packet of Marlboro Gold.
Both packets were illegal to sell and were seized.
Councillors have now decided to give premises licence holder Asif Jabarkhil a clear warning and a suspension from selling tobacco for 21 days.
The shop must also allow Trading Standards to check the CCTV at the premises on a regular basis.
