Shop bans homeless from buying alcohol

AN OFF-LICENCE has been ordered to stop selling alcohol to homeless people in a bid to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Lonsdale Off Licence, in Stoke, will now open two hours later, at 10am, following complaints that early-morning drinkers are causing a nuisance and dropping litter.

Staffordshire Police say homeless people from the nearby Salvation Army, in Vale Street, make regular visits to the Post Office and withdraw cash before going into the Lonsdale Street store to buy alcohol.

They claim groups of people have been caught urinating and begging for food.

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PC Graeme Owen, of the northern licensing unit, said: "A lot of the store's customers are homeless people who are purchasing alcohol and making their way down to the churchyard on Lonsdale Street, which is situated inside an alcohol restriction zone.

"I believe that the new hours would make an impact in alleviating the problem but it is only early days at the moment."

PC James Macmillan, of Stoke Police Station, said: "The drinkers move on and drink their alcohol either in the local graveyard or on a nearby estate.

"This causes issues as they don't put their empty cans or bottles in the bin and they will urinate in the graveyard, swear and beg for food when the church is open."

PCSO Karen Billings, also based at Stoke Police Station, added: "They are very noisy, swearing, shouting and generally causing a nuisance. They are seen urinating regularly and causing distress to people who witness this.

"This usually occurs after these people have consumed a large amount of alcohol which they have purchased from the Lonsdale Street off-licence."

The store is owned by Mr Tarsem Lal and his wife Jagiro Kaur.

Brian Wain, representing Mr Lal, said: "The couple have been at the premises for 16 years and have always co-operated with the police, but this issue seems to have got out of hand.

"Much of the problem is through the homeless people and that has been recognised by Mr Lal.

"They come down to the Post Office at the end of the street, draw out their money and go to the nearest off-licence.

"There are litter bins in the vicinity but although they are there, you cannot force people to use them. Mr Lal has agreed that he will not sell to those who he knows to be from the Salvation Army."

The move comes after a review of the store's alcohol licence by Stoke-on-Trent City Council's licensing sub committee.

Staffordshire Police requested action after a test purchase operation on Friday, December 21 where Mr Lal served a 15-year-old boy with a can of Guinness.

Along with the revised trading times, Mr Lal has also been ordered to adopt the challenge 25 scheme and to install CCTV.

Councillor Joy Garner, the committee's chairman, said the shop should treat this as a warning.

She added: "We are concerned about the sales of alcohol to underage people and to the drunks who are becoming a nuisance in the local area, so we feel that it is important that these new regulations are adhered to.

"We would also issue a strict warning to Mr Lal that a second appearance before us could result in the revocation of the premise licence."