Simply News and Booze South Kirkby: Laughing gas found on sale at Wakefield shop during police search

Around £55,000 worth of illegal vapes and smuggled cigarettes were also discovered at Simply News & Booze, in South Kirkby.

Illegal products were seized from two other shops on the same stretch of road between South Kirkby and South Elmsall.

Police, Trading Standards and council officers identified a number of further licensing breaches at the stores on Barnsley Road in January and February this year.

Details of the alleged illegal activity are outlined in documents submitted to Wakefield Council ahead of premises licence review hearings to be held later this month.

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Police said the licence holder at Simply News & Booze put children at risk of harm after two boxes of small nitrous oxide capsules were found when the shop was searched on January 13.

A larger nitrous oxide cannister was also found, along with 4,507 illegal vapes, estimated to be worth £55,000, and 100 packets of counterfeit cigarettes.

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, was classified as a class C drug in November last year. The colourless gas is inhaled and is commonly used as a painkiller in medicine and dentistry.

The government made its possession a criminal offence in England and Wales as part of plans to tackle anti-social behaviour. Its use soared during the covid pandemic, becoming one of the most-abused substances, especially by 16 to 24-year-olds.

Further illegal tobacco and vapes were found to be on sale when Trading Standards officers returned to the store on February 15.

The documents say Gurpreet Singh has been the store licence holder and designated premises supervisor since August 2020.

The seizure of the nitrous oxide, vapes and counterfeit cigarettes are subject to a separate criminal investigation.

Chris Wathen, a council health prevention officer said he is “concerned” that nitrous oxide appeared to be on sale for “recreational purposes.”

He added: “Mr Singh is responsible for the items sold in his shop and for his staff and in my view there is no question that illegal cigarettes, tobacco, vapes and nitrous oxide were being stored in an area of the building he had clear control of for sale to the public.”

Mr Wathen said it is the third time illegal items have been discovered at the shop in a 15-month period.

A council licensing sub-committee will review the store’s licence at a hearing on April 25.

Officers discovered illegal tobacco at Shop Local on February 15. Vapes containing nicotine above the legal limit were also seized.

A month earlier, a shop staff member failed a test purchase operation by selling alcohol to a person under 18. Police returned to the store to carry out a compliance check and further breaches were discovered.

The premises licence holder is named as Allan Jaff Jabar.

Paul Dean, a council licensing enforcement officer, said staff had not been trained how to operate the CCTV system or promote an age verification policy.

Mr Dean said: “The illegal activities demonstrate that Mr Jabar has shown little to no regard to promote any of the licensing objectives, especially his considerable disregard to promote the prevention of crime.”

A hearing in relation to that store will be held on April 22.

Smuggled tobacco and illegal vapes were seized from Sofia Mini Market, South Elmsall, on February 15. A staff member at the store also sold alcohol to an under-age person in January.

The named premises licence holder is Lukas Tancos, operating under the ‘Marios Mini Market’ limited company name. More details of the investigation relating to that store are expected to be revealed at a hearing on April 25.