A Birmingham store has had its licence to sell alcohol 24 hours a day taken away after councillors heard there had been a surge in drunkeness and anti-social behaviour in the area.
Six Ways Food and Wine in Erdington can no longer open all hours after a string of complaints by local residents, police and other shopkeepers. Birmingham City Council’s licensing sub-committee took away its 24-hour alcohol and trading licence and reduced its opening hours. Now the High Street trader can open only from 6am to 10pm and sell alcohol between 10am and 10pm.
Councillors imposed the restrictions after West Midlands Police presented a dossier of incidents, including a spot check where Customs and Excise allegedly found smuggled alcohol on the premises, an illegal immigrant living in a storeroom and large amounts of cash which are being investigated by the police’s Economic Crime Unit. A ‘test purchase’ exercise witnessed a 15-year-old buying alcohol without an ID check.
