The Oxford Convenience Store on Oxford Road, Thornaby and the Family Shopper on Lyttleton Drive, Hartburn, Stockton both had their ability to sell alcohol up for review.
Licensing team leader Leanne Maloney said this was because of underage sales, unlicensed activity and breach of licence conditions, undermining their aims to prevent crime and disorder and protect children.
Stockton Council’s licensing sub-committee heard from licensing officer Kirsty Wannop how underage volunteers were served alcohol in the shops.
Officers were also served alcohol outside the licensed hours, by employees who did not hold personal licences, during test purchase exercises.
She said the licence holder for both shops, Thilageswaran Theivendram, did not have training records for employees, only “verbal training” before they were left unsupervised and unlicensed. She added she had tried to work with him and he had given assurances it would not happen again.
But she said in the Oxford Road case: “I do not have faith in Mr Theivendram’s management of licensed premises.”
The reviews were supported by Cleveland Police and public health officials. PC Andy Thorpe said although the police had no serious issues with the Oxford Road shop, there were “serious misgivings” because of the underage sales.
In the Family Shopper case, he said: “There has to come a time when more stringent action needs to be taken and unfortunately, this is the time.”
Suresh Kanapathi, representing Mr Theivendram, said he had overlooked things while managing three premises.
In the Oxford Road case, he said: “I think he’s been trying to do everything himself, is his kind of weakness. It’s really unfortunate circumstances. He didn’t do anything intentionally.
“He’s been managing all the other things and things slipped. It’s human error, I would say.
“Those two staff who failed the (Oxford Road) test purchase, they are no longer at the premises. There were no complaints from the public for more than eight years.”
He gave assurances including more training for Mr Theivendram and his staff, a sign in the Thornaby shop and a system blocking alcohol sales outside the licensed hours, adding: “He’s now very clear the conditions are not optional. He came to realise that every little thing is very important.”
He said the police had “misrepresented” the situation with Family Shopper in Hartburn and it would be unfair to revoke its licence.
The Family Shopper on Lyttleton Drive, Hartburn
“This is a new premises, it started in November 2023. They should be given an opportunity to improve,” he argued.
Two days before the hearing, Mr Theivendram’s representatives suggested changes to the shops’ management.
For Oxford Road they put forward Amy Critchley, who had worked at the shop for six years and at Sainsbury’s for 13 years, as an experienced new premises supervisor running the shop day to day.
She told councillors: “Everything is now in place.
“It’s just more about managing it and keeping it right. It takes a bit of pressure off him if somebody else takes the reins.”
The police did not object to her taking over at Oxford Road, but Mr Theivendram would remain licence holder there.
At Family Shopper, police were concerned that a man who sold alcohol to an underage test purchase volunteer was suggested as the new supervisor.
Mr Kanapathi argued that man was suitable because he was since trained, learned from his mistake and passed a test purchase. Ms Wannop said the suggested changes in Hartburn did “not fill me with confidence”.
Committee chair Councillor Eileen Johnson said, in the Thornaby case: “I think the picture is clear that Mr Theivendram was doing too much. He wasn’t focused on what he should really have been focused on.”
But she gave similar rulings to revoke the licence in each case, saying of the Family Shopper: “The premises licence should be revoked due to the concerns highlighted by the licensing authority, public health and police about underage sale of alcohol and breaches of licence conditions.
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“The committee are concerned that the premises is not being overseen appropriately, nor managed in such a way to uphold the licensing objectives, despite you being an experienced trader.
“The committee found that the management do not appear to take their responsibilities under the licensing laws seriously enough.”
In each case, Mr Theivendram can appeal against the decision to Teesside magistrates within three weeks of receiving a written decision, and may continue to serve alcohol in the meantime.