Police apply gor Rotherham store to lose its booze licence

Rotherham Council’s licensing sub-committee of Rotherham Council will consider the review of the premises licence held by Hepworth Drive Off Licence Store Limited, which trades as Hepworth Drive Off Licence Store at Hepworth Drive, Aston.

The application has been made under the Licensing Act 2003 by the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police.

The police want the licence revoked, citing repeated failures by the licence holder to promote the licensing objectives, specifically the prevention of crime and disorder, and the protection of children from harm.

According to a council report, the business failed three test purchases involving underage volunteers in the space of six months.

Those incidents followed repeated interventions by the police and licensing authority, including an action plan introduced in March, which set out specific conditions to address ongoing concerns.

The sole company director, Mr Thomas Mani Palathu Parambil, was informed that failure to implement these measures could result in enforcement action. However, licensing officers state that the required improvements were not carried out.

Representations in support of the police’s application have been submitted by the council’s public health department, safeguarding children partnership, and licensing authority. The public health department highlighted the shop’s location in an area with higher-than-average levels of youth vulnerability, including children in care and young people not in education, employment, or training.

In a statement, the partnership expressed concern that continued alcohol sales to minors “undermined the licensing objective of protecting children from harm,” while public health called for the licence to be revoked given the store’s disregard for repeated breaches.

The licence currently permits the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises.

At the hearing, on July 30, all parties will be given the opportunity to present their case. This includes South Yorkshire Police, those who made representations, and the licence holder.

The sub-committee has several options available, ranging from taking no action to modifying the licence conditions, suspending the licence for up to three months, or revoking it entirely. The decision must be evidence-based and proportionate to the licensing objectives.

The outcome of the hearing will be published in accordance with licensing regulations, and any party to the hearing may appeal the decision.