The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Thursday 1 October 2026 to consider a review of a premises licence for Quickstop, also known as S&R Supermarket. The meeting agenda also included standard procedural items.

Review of Premises Licence for Quickstop

The primary item scheduled for discussion was a review of the premises licence for Quickstop, located at 285 Southwark Park Road, London SE16 3TP. This review was initiated following a Closure Order issued by Croydon Magistrates' Court under Section 167 of the Licensing Act 2003.

The report pack detailed the grounds for the review, which stemmed from a series of incidents and investigations conducted by Southwark Trading Standards and supported by representations from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Licensing Authority. These investigations, spanning from October 2025 to May 2026, reportedly uncovered the sale of illicit tobacco products, including cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, as well as non-compliant vaping devices and nicotine pouches.

Specific incidents mentioned in the report pack included:

• Seizures of oversized single-use vapes in October 2025.
• Test purchases of non-compliant cigarettes in October, December 2025, and February, March, April, and May 2026.
• The apprehension of an individual carrying illicit tobacco during an inspection in November 2025, which also resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of illicit tobacco, vaping devices, and nicotine pouches.
• The discovery of empty cartons for Top Gun cigarettes, a brand not legally available in the UK, in February 2026.
• The presence of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes for Class A drugs, blunt wraps, and cigarette papers, on display for sale during inspections.

The report highlighted that a Closure Order had initially been made in May 2026 and subsequently extended by the Court to December 2026. The grounds for the Closure Order included findings that a person had engaged in, or was likely to engage in, disorderly, offensive, or criminal behaviour on the premises, or that the use of the premises had resulted, or was likely to result, in serious nuisance to the public, or that there had been, or was likely to be, disorder near the premises associated with its use. The Court deemed the order necessary to prevent such behaviour from continuing, recurring, or occurring.

Representations from responsible authorities, including Trading Standards, the Metropolitan Police Service, and the Licensing Authority, all supported the review. These representations noted that while Thanbir Ahmed Raju, the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) and licence holder, was not personally involved in the supply of illicit tobacco, he remained ultimately responsible for the lawful running of the premises. Concerns were raised about his oversight and commitment to promoting the licensing objectives, leading to a lack of confidence in his ability to remain as licence holder.

The report also outlined the legal framework under the Licensing Act 2003, detailing the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, the promotion of public safety, the prevention of nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. It explained the steps the licensing authority could take following a review, including modifying licence conditions, excluding licensable activities, removing the DPS, suspending the licence, or revoking it.

The premises is located outside of a Cumulative Impact Area (CIA). The report also briefly mentioned climate change implications, noting that while not a legal factor in licensing decisions, members could inquire about measures to reduce climate impact.

The meeting was scheduled to consider the information presented in the report pack and any relevant representations made by responsible authorities or other persons. The report recommended that the licensing sub-committee consider a review of the premises licence.