Liverpool Council could now impose further sanctions on the premises
A convenience store on one of Liverpool’s busiest routes could be the latest to face sanction by the city council. Weeks after being hit with a closure order by magistrates, representatives of Old Swan Express on Prescot Road find themselves in further hot water with the city council.
A review is to be conducted of the store’s premises licence to determine if it is suitable to trade any further. On September 27, Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates’ Court made an order for the business to be closed down for a temporary period owing to a “person has engaged, or is likely to engage, in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour on the premises. The use of the premises has resulted in serious nuisance to members of the public.”
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Council documents indicate Sinnathamby Arumugasamy is named as both the premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor. When it meets on Friday October 18, the city’s licensing and gambling sub-committee will decide whether to revoke or suspend the premises licence following the court order.
It is the latest in a line of businesses facing sanction from the local authority, including Village News on Allerton Road, Woolton Village, which lost its licence last week. The city council has moved to clamp down on the business further but mystery surrounds who is responsible.
Kamesan Vinayagamoorthy is listed as the designated premises supervisor and premises licence holder but the authority’s licensing and gambling sub-committee was told how the business hadn’t sold alcohol for three years and was not operated by Mr Vinayagamoorthy. Licensing officers told members how the current operators had “no interest” in selling alcohol and the address for Mr Vinayagamoorthy seemingly did not exist.
Mark Wainwright, from the city’s trading standards team, said the shop had been subject to a series of undercover and underage test purchases between 2022 and July this year. He added how he or the team had never encountered the licence holder, who they deemed to be “not a fit and proper person” to hold a permit.
The trading standards officer told councillors how as the devices were bagged up and being removed, a member of the public walked past and said: “I was only coming for them.” Mr Wainwright said the products were being obtained through a “black market” and the rise of illicit vapes had been the “main issue for two years” for trading standards officials.
