The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on Tuesday 29 July 2025, to consider an application for a premises licence review for Sam's Mini Market. The sub-committee was also asked to consider excluding the press and public while they discussed the application.

Sams Mini Market Licence Review

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an application by Northamptonshire Police for a review of the premises licence for Sams Mini Market, 27 Abington Square, Northampton, NN1 4AE.

The review application was submitted on the grounds of failure to uphold the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder. The application stated that the premises was being used for the sale or storage of illicit tobacco products and illegal vapes.

According to the report pack, an inspection of the premises was carried out on 21 March 2025 by WNC Trading Standards officers and Northamptonshire Police. A further enforcement visit was conducted on 30 April 2025. During the inspection, a test purchase was conducted where 40 Lambert and Butler cigarettes were purchased for £10. On 30 April 2025, another 40 Lambert and Butler cigarettes were purchased for £10. On both occasions, the shop assistant was seen to go out of the staff door at the premises and return with the tobacco products. A subsequent visit was made on 30 April 2025 where 152 illegal vapes were seized from below shelving in a room behind the counter area.

The report pack included statements from Richard Durham, an investigator, and Darran Abraham, another investigator working with Trading Standards, which corroborated the details of the test purchases and the seizure of illegal vapes.

According to the report pack, the current premises licence holder is Mirivan Mostafa and the designated premises supervisor is Anna Halina Pstras, who also holds a personal licence. The premises is licensed for the sale by retail of alcohol (off the premises only) Monday to Sunday 08:00 to 00:00.

The report pack stated that the local authority displayed the obligatory notice at the premises, and that during the 28 day consultation period no relevant representations were received.

The sub-committee was advised that it must take such steps that it considers appropriate for the promotion of the four licensing objectives¹. The options available to the sub-committee were to:

• modify the conditions of the licence
• exclude a licensable activity from the licence
• remove the designated premises supervisor
• suspend the premises licence for a period not exceeding 3 months
• revoke the licence

Northamptonshire Police requested that the committee consider the revocation of the premises licence for Sams Mini Market. According to a statement from Police Constable Leanne Laren,

The view of the Chief Constable is that these premises are managed in such a way that they undermine the Prevention of Crime and Disorder licensing objective of the Licensing Act 2OO3. Evading duty jeopardises legitimate businesses and is a criminal offence

Exclusion of Press and Public

The sub-committee was asked to consider excluding the press and public from the meeting while they discussed the application for a premises licence review. The report pack stated that if members decided not to make a decision in public, they were recommended to resolve as follows:

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, Paragraph(s) XXXXX would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.