Girl reportedly thrown through shop window in town centre plagued by anti-social behaviour

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

A teenage girl was reportedly thrown through a shop window in a town centre plagued by anti-social behaviour.

The incident was reported when councillors granted a licence to sell alcohol, for consumption off the premises, to Caldicot Stores and Post Office that has recently opened in a unit at Holman House in Newport Road.

The licensing committee was told after applicant Bhavip Nakum agreed to conditions requested by Gwent Police it offered no objections, and neither had any other official body.

But councillors had to decide the application as Pradeep Thangaraj, the manager of the next door Bargain Booze store, and its director Anthuvan Joseph Paulraj had made an objection.

Objection

They told the three member committee they weren’t opposed to new licence, but concerned about any impact on ant-social behaviour. They officially withdrew their objection at the meeting having outlined their concerns.

Committee member and Labour councillor for the Dewstow ward, Tony Eason, said anti-social behaviour remains a problem in Caldicot where he also serves on the town council.

He said: “We’ve got extra police to try and curb anti-social behaviour there’s been fighting outside Bargain Booze and boys had thrown a girl through the window at 3pm.”

He said anti-social behaviour has been a problem over summer months.

‘Fear’

Mr Thangaraj told the committee: “We are just worried whether it will bring back anti-social behaviour and what is done to solve it? We are happy to work with the applicant and how can the applicant help us solve it? We have a little fear this might bring the anti-social behaviour problem back to square one.”

In September 2022 police used special powers, giving them authority to order people to leave the town centre, due to anti-social behaviour that was blamed on “bored and frustrated” youths.

Mr Paulraj said as a result of teenagers taking bottles, alcohol is stocked away from items such as sweet and soft drinks and staff challenge anyone thought to be under 18 entering that “side of the shop”.

He said police also patrol the Newport Road shops from 4pm to 9pm and it has followed police advice to limit school children to only two at a time.

He said: “I’ve invested quite a lot into the business and the community support us.”

The committee was told the pair took over the Bargain Booze store two years ago and increased opening hours from 6pm to 9pm and Mr Thangaraj said “if a store is closed kids don’t bother that store, when it opens late they feel like it is a fun for them.”

Police statistics

Police statistics provided to the committee show recorded anti-social behaviour incidents in the town centre peaked at 11 in November 2023 and there were six and seven incidents in June and July this year, dropping to three in August but climbing to six in September before falling to two in October.

Applicant Mr Nakum outlined steps to control the sale of alcohol including training and a till that prompts staff to ask anyone buying age restricted products for their age and it gives the date the customer must be born before to save staff having to calculate it.

His shop opens from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week and was granted a licence to sell alcohol for the same hours.

Committee chairman, Cllr Tudor Thomas, said there were no objections and the application was approved unanimously. He said the committee would have had to be satisfied for there to be a link to anti-social behaviour for it to refuse a licence.