Shop seeking alcohol licence accused of hiding illegal tobacco in crisp boxes

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

Claims a shop had illegal tobacco hidden in crisp boxes and children in school uniforms were sold age-restricted products have been raised during a licensing hearing.

Trading standards officers submitted the claims in evidence to a Conwy County Council licensing committee this week as it prepared to review an application by Cece Mini Market in Llandudno to sell alcohol from the shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The application, submitted by Nihad Ramazan Abdulrahman, was then reduced before the meeting to 8am – 11pm, seven days a week, following North Wales Police and the NHS raising concerns about potential anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related health issues.

Speaking at the meeting, the council’s trading standards officers said illegal tobacco had been found hidden in crisp boxes on the shop floor and behind the counter before it was seized.

One officer also said children wearing school uniforms had been sold “age-restricted products”.

Officers said the St George’s Place shop didn’t have adequate training in place and claimed staff failed to understand advice following a test-purchase visit in December when the illegal tobacco was seized.

The officer went on to claim the shop hadn’t learned its lesson when the council carried out a second test-purchase visit last month.

They said: “It was clear that there were no measures in place at the time of the visit, so our concerns are what measures have been put in place to prevent this from happening again.

“Although advice and guidance, both verbal and written, were provided on 2 December 2025, relating to both the sale of age-restricted goods to children and the sale of illegal tobacco, two separate controlled test-purchase attempts for illegal tobacco have been attempted from Cece Mini Market on the last week of February 2026 by officers of the department.

“We regularly carry out market surveillance. During each of the attempts, the officers were both advised separately (by the shop worker) that the only cigarette or tobacco products that were available in the store were the original ones, but that they would have the ‘cheap ones’ next month.

“The person working in the shop made a point of saying, ‘We don’t have the European ones in at the minute,’ and they then reiterated that they would be back in next month.”

The officer then said there were concerns that the business owner and the applicant were “two different people” and that the business owner wasn’t mentioned in the application for the premises licence.

She added: “The business has already shown there were no procedures in place in relation to the sale of age-restricted goods to children, and we have concerns whether that would be reflected with the sale of alcohol, should an alcohol licence be granted; nor were there any procedures relating to the sale of illicit tobacco.”

Representing the applicant, agent Geoff Dixon said he hadn’t been provided with the updated and correct information in relation to the officers claims.

Mr Dixon then claimed there shouldn’t have been any reference to the February test purchase as it wasn’t included in the report.

But a legal officer said Trading Standards officers could mention the test purchase.

Mr Dixon then said the applicant had  “nothing to do with the business” until the licence application had been made and also “that the limited company is not making the application; the applicant is”.

“All of the objections from Trading Standards refers to events that have happened prior to this application,” he added.

“The application is not from the person that was running the business. The concerns of Trading Standards regarding training are completely understood, but to say they had no faith in this gentleman who has run alcohol-related businesses – (he) currently has food refreshment – the provision of late-night refreshment in a venue that hasn’t caused any problems.”

Mr Dixon then said that all training procedures would be put in place if the premises licence was granted.

The committee will reach a decision before the end of the week.