Shop identified for ‘super-strength cider’ faces closure after drunk lady flashed

A tipsy lady reportedly ‘flashed her bum’ at a male employee after being denied extra booze at a nook store.

The retailer, identified for promoting “strong and cheap” single cans of beer and cider, is now linked to crime and dysfunction within the Middlesbrough space, in response to police and council officers.

AJ’s, situated on Crescent Road, is going through a licence overview as a consequence of considerations raised by Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council Licensing Authority. They requested a overview final yr, citing causes of stopping crime, dysfunction, and public nuisance.

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The nook store, which sits reverse Ayresome Primary School, has been beneath the license of Savior Selvaras Tharmeswaran since October 2023. Reports counsel that two ‘very drunk girls’, seen arguing and swearing, left the store after one ‘flashed her bottom’ on the assistant when he refused to promote her extra alcohol.

On one other event, a ‘clearly drunk’ man was seen leaving the store with a can of what seemed to be Stella Artois lager. A public well being official additionally reported seeing about 50 crates of “high strength” Knights cider stacked from ground to ceiling in AJ’s storeroom.

A neighborhood police officer has raised considerations a couple of store’s alcohol licence as a consequence of excessive ranges of crime and dysfunction. PC Amy Roberts stated: “Cleveland Police state that there are high levels of alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour in the local area, and are concerned about anti-social behaviour in and around the shop.

In addition, Cleveland Police have concerns in relation to the management of the premises and point to non compliance with premises licence conditions and a lack of understanding of licensing legislation by staff working at the premises.”

She added: “On eighth September 2023, I attended the premises with representatives from Public Health after considerations had been raised with Middlesbrough Council.

“Upon attending the premise we were met by a female, heavily intoxicated stumbling out of the premise with a single can in her hand. Both were a little agitated after being inside the premises and refused further alcohol.

“Upon coming into it was clear that two male members of employees had been unaware of what our position was and did not appear to have an understanding across the Licensing Act.”

PC Roberts added that CCTV was retained for 25 days, not 31 as per the licence. There was also reportedly non-adherence to ‘no refusals book, no incident book and no documented training’.

“I had considerations across the sale of small grip seal baggage and small plastic sort pipe objects, which to me is for one use solely and that’s linked to drug use,” the document adds.

The document reveals the shop sells single cans of strong beers, lagers and ciders. One such product is Knights cider; an 8.4% ABV tipple sold in a single 500ml can. “It is deemed extremely enticing to these susceptible drinkers, struggling with alcohol dependency as a consequence of it being robust and low cost,” the report states.

Another officer said the strong cans “had been stacked from ground to ceiling.”

Middlesbrough Council will decide on Thursday (February 15) whether to review the shop’s licence. This could mean the licence gets taken away, suspended, or the conditions changed.

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