Licence Threat For Hastings Store In Fake Wine Allegation

A shop that allegedly stocked counterfeit wine could be set to lose its licence.

At a hearing later this month, a Hastings Borough Council licensing panel is set to consider revoking the alcohol sales licence of Four Seasons Supermarket in Bohemia Road. 

The hearing, set to be held on January 28, comes as the result of an application by East Sussex Trading Standards.

According to trading standards its officers took bottles of wine from the premises during a visit in June, including several bottles of Blossom Hill White Zinfandel which were found to be counterfeit after testing.

These bottles had been in the shop’s stockroom but were not out for sale at the time trading standards officers visited the premises.

In its application, a Trading Standards spokesman said:

“Whilst the product tested did not contain dangerous substances, there is no guarantee, due to the lack of quality control in the production of illegal alcohol that all the bottles of alcohol are safe.

“In addition, the bottle tested was under strength to an extent it is not legally wine.

“By supplying illegal wine, the business risked supplying dangerous alcohol to their customers.”

Trading Standards say that when challenged to provide information on where the wine had come from, the business’ director, Mrs Thushya Inthiakumar, claimed it had been in the stockroom since the premises was taken over in 2016.

However, Trading Standards say this would be impossible — as the design of the product label was not made until 2017, following a change of ownership of the Blossom Hill brand. 

Trading Standards say they do not consider the business’ management to be competent to uphold the licensing objectives.

A spokesman added:

“Trading Standards asks that the committee give serious consideration to the revocation of the premises licence and that this step is necessary and proportionate to ensure that the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and order is met.”

However, this view is disputed by the business, which calls on the panel  to take a more lenient approach, as revoking the licence would be a “disproportionate and inappropriate response.”

In a letter to the panel, the business’s legal representative said:

“We submit that steps less serious than revocation of the licence will have the desired effect of promoting the licensing objectives.

“Our client’s shop ceased selling the relevant wines when a customer said that it tasted odd. 

“An informal warning and recommendations for improvement would motivate our client to be more organised regarding the stock, make improvements, and seek to ensure that the causes that instigated the review do not happen again, which will effectively promote the licensing objectives.”

However, the legal representative said it would be appropriate to remove the current designated premises supervisor Paramaguru Inthirakumar and install Mrs Thushya Inthirakumar in his stead.

The hearing is set to take place on Thursday, January 28.