The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on 22 September 2025 to consider a premises licence review. Councillor Stephen Hibbert, Councillor Adrian Cartwright, and Councillor Caroline Phillips were scheduled to attend the meeting. The sub-committee was scheduled to determine an application for a premises licence review for Dracula Magazin.

Premises Licence Review

The sub-committee was scheduled to determine an application for a premises licence review of Dracula Magazin, 82 Kingsley Park Terrace, Northampton, NN2 7HL. The application for the review of the premises licence was submitted by Police Constable Leanne Laren of Northamptonshire Police on the grounds of failure to promote the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder, and the protection of children from harm.

The application followed a visit to the premises on 28 April 2025 by West Northamptonshire Council Trading Standards and Northamptonshire Police officers, during which a test purchase was conducted. A member of staff was asked for 40 Lambert & Butler cigarettes and paid £9 for them. It was alleged that the tobacco products did not comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016¹ and/or the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015² and were not legal to be sold in the UK. It was also alleged that the products had either been smuggled into the country, with no import duty having been paid, or that they were counterfeit products.

A subsequent search of the premises found the following illegal products:

• 679 packets of 20 cigarettes in a hide at the rear of the shop
• 106 packets of 20 cigarettes under the shop counter
• 33 pouches of hand rolling tobacco marked as 50g in hide at rear of the shop
• 80 packets of 20 cigarettes in a second hide in the rear of the shop
• 33 pouches of hand rolling tobacco (marked as 50g) in hide at rear of shop
• 5 pouches of hand rolling tobacco (marked as 50g) under the shop counter
• 20 pouches of shisha tobacco in second hide in the rear of the shop
• A quantity of empty illegal vape boxes were on the shelf behind the counter
• 120 illegal disposable vapes located under the shop counter
• 150 illegal vapes located in the storeroom at the rear of the shop
• A quantity of empty illegal vape packages located and removed from the front window display
• 526 illegal illegal disposal vapes located in second hide in rear of shop

It was also alleged that the vaping devices contravened the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, which states that the nicotine containing liquid in such a device must be in a volume not exceeding 2 millilitres.

A further visit to the premises on 24 June 2025 found 59 disposable vapes stored behind the shop counter, which were seized. The sale of disposable vapes in the UK was banned from 1 June 2025.

The current premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor is Pishtewan Mohamad. The premises is licensed for the regulated activity of the sale by retail of alcohol (off the premises only) Monday to Sunday 08:00 to 23:00.

The sub-committee was reminded of its options, which 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
• take no action

Northamptonshire Police asked the committee to consider the revocation of the premises license, stating that:

There is non-compliance with the licensing act 2003 regarding crime and disorder, and evidence of continued sale and storage of illicit tobacco at the premises.

They cited Section 11:27 of the Secretary of State's Section 182 Statutory Guidance to the Licensing Act 2003, which states that the sale and storage of smuggled tobacco and alcohol should be treated particularly seriously, and that licensing authorities should seriously consider revocation in the first instance.