Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Shop hit with super-strength alcohol sale ban
A GLOUCESTER cornershop has been banned from selling super-strength alcoholic drinks after fears it was fuelling street drinking.
Gloucester City Council considered a review into the premises licence for Sedoo’s Stop in London Road.
The shop is licensed to sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm every day, but Gloucestershire Constabulary asked for a review due to street drinking linked to the premises.
Police are concerned that the alcohol is being drunk by people who then stagger into the road and fight or heckle passers-by.
A number of fights directly outside the premises have also been recorded on CCTV.
Police Community Support Officer Steve Harris said: “The street drinkers have been congregating in London Road every day, usually outside the Badham Pharmacy and in the bus stops, drinking in large groups, being intimidating to the bus users and the members of public walking by.
“The reports have been of the street drinkers shouting, arguing, swearing, fighting and urinating around the area of London Road and Alvin Street.
“The drinkers are using Sedoo’s convenience store, which is situated on the corner of London Road and Alvin Street, to acquire their alcoholic cans of drink due to them being able to buy cheap separate cans, and once purchased they congregate either outside the store or further down London Road.”
Councillors decided to modify the conditions of the premises licence as per 16 conditions put forward by the police and agreed by those representing the shop.
However, they also amended another condition to bring the alcohol by volume strength of drinks sold to 7.5% in line with the other stores in the area.
The licensing sub-committee said they were impressed by the collaborative working the shop was showing, adding it was very innovative and liked the idea of all of the parties working together.