Super Booze in Sheffield has been caught selling cheap illegal tobacco products and vapes to customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Members of the Licensing Sub-Committee held a hearing at Sheffield City Council on the 11th May to review a premises licence and decided to remove the licence holder’s licence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from Trading Standards said that the Middlewood Road shop was reported by a customer in February when they bought a pack of cigarettes that should retail at \u00a316 but only cost \u00a35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the 5th February, Trading Standards inspected the shop and found 51 packs of illegal cigarettes and 18 packs of illegal hand rolling tobacco, including 20 illegal vapes that were suspected to be smuggled or illegally imported..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The licence holder, Colette Goode said she was off work for six months and only became aware of the issues when she got the notice of her licence review. She said she felt like her employers had deceived her and said: \u2018They took total advantage of me not being well\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Goode said she was overseeing the shop but not attending it as she lived in Rotherham and couldn\u2019t commute. She said: \u2018By doctors orders I had to stay home, I couldn’t attend my day to day job.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was shocked to find out her two employees had been involved with the illegal operation whilst she was in hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immediately after finding out, she said she sacked shop staff for misconduct and installed hidden CCTV so she could monitor staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Councillor Mark Whittaker responded to how cheap illegal tobacco was, he said: \u2018That’s bound to encourage people to take it up and start smoking.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Councillor John Booker, a member of the Safeguarding team was in favour of removing the licence from the licence holder as licence holders take responsibility of premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u2018The Illicit sale of counterfeit sale of tobacco is clearly criminal activity which undermines legitimate businesses.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He urged for increased exposure of age restricted tobacco and vapes to prevent children buying them. The team said they are tackling supply and demand for tobacco and that they were aiming to achieve a smoke free generation by 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n