The Europe Quality Foods Shop on Brookend Street, Ross-on-Wye, has been refused a licence to sell alcohol.

Jim Mooney, the licencing officer for the county told the Ross Gazette that West Mercia Police and Herefordshire Trading Standards had objected to the application, as there had been previous criminal activity at the premises. In December last year, the shop’s owner, Karzan Elias, was prosecuted for selling illegal cigarettes and rolling tabacco in his store.

The applicant for the licence was Monika Plevyte, not Mr Elias. However, at the licencing committee meeting, Ms Plevyte had said that she did manage the store, but ultimately, as Mr Elias was the business owner, she was answerable to him, and he remains in charge of the shop.

Mr Mooney told the Ross Gazette that the sale of contraband tabacco is a serious criminal offence. Not only has the duty not been paid, which constitues a loss of revenue for HM Revenue and Customs, the cigarettes have not met the legal standards for UK?law, which means they could contain dangerous ingredients, such as brick dust or rat poison. There are also no fire safety safeguards, and there are no health warnings on the packaging.

Mr Elias pleaded guilty at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on December 16th to selling illegal, fake and smuggled tobacco products. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,900.

Two days previously, on December 14th, Ms Plevyte applied for the alcohol licence for the shop, but Mr Mooney pointed out that in court cases, the defendant knows they are due to appear about a month before the hearings take place.

A petition was presented at the committee meeting, which asked that the licence be granted. This petition had approximately 200 signatures, but Mr Mooney told the Ross Gazette that no-one who had signed the petition was present at the meeting, and neither was Mr Elias.

Mr Mooney said that Europe Quality Foods is not the first shop in Herefordshire to apply for an alcohol licence, after they have been tackled for selling illegal contraband tabacco.

In some instances, a shop may have its licence revoked, and in others, a member of staff may apply for a licence after the employer is prosecuted.

If anyone has any information regarding the sale of illegal tobacco within Herefordshire, please contact trading standards on 01432 261761, or West Mercia Police on 101.

Alternatively, if you want to give information but don’t want to give your name you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit their website: www.crimestoppers.org.uk.

Crimestoppers are not part of the police, when you contact them you won’t be identified. The only person who knows you have given information is you.