Store That Sold Cheep Beer Banned From Selling Booze in Area Plagued With Drunk Street Fighting

The store’s cheap beer were apparently linked to crime in the area. (Photo: Alex Chistol/Pexels)

In a hearing on Nov. 23, a U.K. convenience store’s right to sell booze and beer products was revoked after breaking licensing conditions. The store was situated in a location plagued with drunken street fighting, swearing and public urinating, reported Gazette Live.

The breach of the store’s license related to the selling of “perry products.”

Problems with the location were first addressed in 2019 by the Cleveland Police. Several meetings took place with the store owner regarding reoccurring street drinking and crime that was apparently linked to the store’s alcohol sales, per Gazette Live.

According to the report, the store sold single cans of high-strength beer, lager and cider for as little as 99p ($1.21). These cheap alcoholic beverages were so easy for street drinkers to acquire that a Labor member for Newport noted how much he “despised the practice.”

“It means street drinkers only have to secure 20p from five different people to afford one,” said Chris Cooke, per Gazette Live. “However, if they drink four cans, this could mean that they’re harassing more than 20 people a day – a conservative estimate given that most people will drink more than four.”

A local business owner in the area informed councilors that street drinkers bought booze from the off-license, creating havoc that led to a “heartbreaking” negative impact on her business, Gazette Live reported.

During a visit in July, a public health representative, Fiona Helyer, watched as individuals drank cider on people’s doorsteps.

“They were loud, they were rowdy, they were drunk,” Heyler said, according to Gazette Live. “As I stood there waiting for the police to arrive, there was a female walking towards me on the same side of the road, as she got closer, one of the street drinkers who was also female, ran across the road and started to push this female and shout at her.”

“That’s the type of disorder that’s happening in this area,” Heyler added.

Police and a neighborhood safety officer watched a number of drunk people attempting to buy alcohol during the same July visit. Heyler mentioned that their presence mitigated the purchasing of alcohol that most likely would have been sold. Furthermore, the store’s incidents log and refusals book “were not completed to a satisfactory level,” Heyler mentioned, according to Gazette Live.

“In this case, poor management and a blatant disregard for licensing legislation and licence conditions have resulted in significant problems for local residents and other businesses,” said Middlesbrough Council Public Protection Head Judith Hedgley, Gazette Live reported.

“This revocation sends a clear message that any premises that fail to adhere to the licensing laws or who fail to operate in a responsible manner will not be tolerated.”

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