The Licensing Sub-Committee met on Wednesday 24 June 2026 to review the premises licence for Sethi Food & Wine, located at 41 Featherstone Road, Southall, UB2 5AB. The committee decided to modify the licence conditions to address the discovery of illicit cigarettes and tobacco at the premises, aiming to prevent crime and disorder.

Review of Sethi Food & Wine

The Licensing Sub-Committee reviewed the premises licence for Sethi Food & Wine, 41 Featherstone Road, Southall, UB2 5AB, following an application by Ealing Council's Licensing Enforcement and Compliance Team. The review was prompted by the discovery of 3,240 illicit cigarettes and 1.13 kg of Indian tobacco in the premises' storeroom during a detection dog operation on 10 March 2026.

The Sub-Committee determined that the presence of these illicit goods directly undermined the licensing objective relating to prevention of crime and disorder. While acknowledging that the premises had no prior history of non-compliance and that the licence holder understood the concerns raised, the committee found that existing licence conditions were insufficient to address the specific risk of illicit tobacco and non-compliant goods.

As a result, the Sub-Committee decided to modify the licence by strengthening existing conditions and adding new, targeted controls. These new conditions, detailed in the Decisions Wednesday 24-Jun-2026 10.00 Licensing Sub-Committee.pdf document, aim to create an auditable system for stock control and enable effective inspection. They include:

• Condition 17: Prohibiting the purchase, stocking, storage, offering for sale, sale, or supply of any illicit, counterfeit, non-duty-paid, non-compliant, or unlawfully imported alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, nicotine products, or other age-restricted goods.
• Condition 18: Mandating that all such products must be purchased only from legitimate UK-registered suppliers, including those registered under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme where applicable.
• Condition 19: Requiring the retention of invoices and/or delivery notes for all purchases of alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, and nicotine products for a minimum of 12 months. These documents must detail supplier information, dates, numbers, descriptions, and quantities, and be made available to authorities within 24 hours of request.
• Condition 20: Stipulating that no such products can be stocked, stored, offered for sale, sold, or supplied unless the Premises Licence Holder or Designated Premises Supervisor can produce a corresponding invoice and/or delivery note upon request.
• Condition 21: Requiring the maintenance of a supplier verification register for all suppliers, recording details such as name, address, contact information, company number, VAT number, and Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme number. This register must be kept up-to-date and available for inspection.
• Condition 22: Mandating a written or electronic stock control record for all tobacco, cigarettes, and nicotine products, including supplier details, invoice references, delivery dates, quantities received and held, and dates of stock checks. These records must be retained for at least 12 months and made available for inspection. The Premises Licence Holder or Designated Premises Supervisor must also check stock control against invoices and delivery notes weekly.
• Condition 23: Requiring the Designated Premises Supervisor and all staff to undertake refresher training on licensing compliance, tobacco legislation, illicit and non-duty-paid goods, age-restricted sales, and due diligence procedures within three months of the decision. Evidence of completion must be retained and available for inspection.
• Condition 24: Mandating documented training for all staff involved in the sale of alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, nicotine products, or other age-restricted goods before they are permitted to make such sales. Training records must be signed, dated, retained for at least 12 months, and made available for inspection.

The Sub-Committee reasoned that these modified and additional conditions were appropriate and proportionate as they were directly linked to the evidence of illicit products found and were designed to ensure traceability to legitimate suppliers, facilitate inspections, and reduce the risk of illicit products being held or sold in the future. The committee also emphasised the importance of staff training to promote licensing objectives.

The applicant, licence holder, or any person who made relevant representations has the right to appeal this decision to the Ealing Magistrates' Court within 21 days of being notified of the decision.