A TOWN centre off-licence is seeking more time to challenge a licence review after Wiltshire Police has brought evidence of breaches against Abby’s in Manchester Road.

A review of the shop’s licence, due to be heard yesterday (Wed), was adjourned despite the owners of the Broadgreen off-licence being aware of the application for five months.

On September 18, 2014 officers on plain clothes operations saw a woman, clearly drunk, being served a three-litre bottle of cider in the store.

The incident triggered a licence check in which the designated premises supervisor at the time, Armugan Raveendran, was unable to provide training records and admitted the store did not have the required number of staff.

On September 21, when issuing Mr Raveendran a caution for the offences, officers saw cans of beer on sale for 50p each, 24p less than the price required by law.

It is not the first time Abby’s has been subject to a licence review – in February 2012 it was reviewed by trading standards for selling counterfeit wine.

As a result, its licence was temporarily suspended and a number of new conditions imposed.

Police licensing officer Sian Kalynka, said: “Given the results of the recent licence check at the premises it is difficult to believe that the first licence review had any impact on the premises licence holders and how they run their business.

“It appears that the profit of the business is of much higher importance than licensing legislation and the anti-social behaviour caused as a result of premises not adhering to the law.

“The premises licence holders applied for a variation in February 2014 to extend their licensing hours to 1am.

“The basis for the police objection was anti-social behaviour in the area and evidence that alcohol sales had been made to drunks who have caused alcohol-related crime.

“Unfortunately the objection was missed by the licensing authority and the variation was granted and a new premises licence issued allowing the premises to operate until 1am.

“The premises licence holders have repeatedly shown disregard for the Licensing Act 2003 and Wiltshire Police find that only the revocation of the licence would now fully promote the licensing objectives.”

Broadgreen was an area of particular concern for police in a recent application for a Cumulative Impact Policy as it is regularly visited by street drinkers due to the high density of off-licences.

There has been an increase in the number of offences within the area, most significantly over the last two years, from 174 incidents in 2012 to 226 in 2014.

The percentage of crimes involving alcohol has also increased, from the lowest point in 2011 of 11.29 per cent to 17.42 per cent in 2014.

There has been an increase in crimes of assault occasioning actual bodily harm from 33 offences in 2013 with seven involving alcohol.

By 2014 those figures had risen to 44 offences with 11 involving alcohol.