A corner shop in Bristol could face a ban on selling booze after police found 'laughing gas' and Viagra. According to a council report, officers found thousands of nitrous oxide canisters during repeated searches as well as unregulated erectile dysfunction medicines in an off licence in the St George area.
New Whitehall Stores, on 342 Whitehall Road, could now be barred from selling alcohol. Avon and Somerset Police is urging Bristol City Council to revoke the shop’s premises licence, and a licensing review hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 15.
Waheem Ahmed held the shop’s licence from January 2021 until March this year, before it was transferred to Noreen Ashiq. Police concerns over illicit sales of laughing gas and Viagra at the shop, as well as problems with CCTV footage, date back to at least two years ago.
Read more: Delays hit plan to boost renewable power and ‘take control of city’s energy’
A report published ahead of the licensing review said: “While at the premises [in June 2021], Licensing Officer [Louise] Mowbray identified several small cream chargers which were located under the main counter. Additionally a significant number of party balloons were located in the stock room.”
Mr Ahmed then wrote to Officer Mowbray, claiming that he would not sell any balloons, and emailed photographs showing balloons placed into a bin. He also attached an invoice dated February 2021, a month after taking over the shop licence, for a pallet of 27,000 cream chargers costing £19,800.
The email said: “When I bought this business from previous owner, they was selling but few month ago someone came from council and told us not to sell in shop. I took them away from shelf and put them in store to not sell it, but now I put them in bin and attach pic.”
After receiving reports the shop was still selling laughing gas, Officer Mowbray went back to search the premises again, accompanied by PCSO Francesca Seamen, and found Viagra and nitrous oxide canisters under a counter. Only pharmacies are legally allowed to sell Viagra. The officers also checked a store room, and in total found 13,189 canisters of laughing gas.
Mr Ahmed told the officers he did not sell nitrous oxide but “had been unable to dispose of the canisters”. He also agreed to give up the laughing gas and Viagra to the police for destruction.
The police then received further reports the shop was selling nitrous oxide, in December 2021, and then in February, May and June 2022. Further problems arose when the police requested CCTV footage from the store, to help with investigations into assaults. The shop owner did not download the footage and send it to officers, as he claimed it was “too long”, according to the report.
The police licensing report added: “Unfortunately, the CCTV system is up in the ceiling or something, we have been told, so we cannot access it for ourselves. Only the manager can access this. This...has caused unnecessary delay to this investigation.”
Failing to provide CCTV footage to the police is considered a breach of the premises licence. Officers then attended the shop in March this year to discuss the issues with Mr Ahmed. While there, they saw a man loading a van linked to the premises with around 80 boxes of large nitrous oxide canisters. Each box contained six canisters one-foot tall and three-inches wide.
Another vehicle was also searched by PCSO Seamen, belonging to Mr Ahmed, who said it only contained cardboard. The officer found yet more canisters, a rucksack full of balloons, crackers and whippers used to inflate the balloons from canisters, and Kamagra, a Viagra-like medicine banned in the UK. Shortly after this visit, the premises licence was transferred to Noreen Ashiq.
The licensing report said: “Even with the change of management at the premises, which is seen as merely a ploy to deflect police action, the police do not believe that the ongoing issues will be addressed.”
