Pub license suspended after counterfeit vodka found

The alcohol was seized from Desi II in Oldbury Road, Smethwick during an inspection carried out by Trading Standards following a tip off.

The restaurant and bar has now had its licence suspended and the owner has been ordered to put more 'stringent' systems in place to prevent it from happening again.

The cases of 'Smirnoff ' brand vodka were believed to be counterfeit due to the way the boxes were sealed with tape and not heat-sealed as genuine cases would be.

Although the alcohol itself was found to be genuine and posed no threat to the public, the labels and UK duty stamps were fake and contained spelling errors, Sandwell Council's licensing committee was told.

See also: Black Country shops banned from selling booze after 200 bottles of fake alcohol seized.

A total of 10 cases were seized as part of the investigation.

Current supervisor of the premises, Mr Singh, admitted to purchasing the counterfeit product from a 'man in a white van' who arrived at his pub and offered him the alcohol for around £4 a case less than he would have paid elsewhere.

The man claimed to be from a company called East Midland Wholesale Ltd in Wolverhampton which was later found to not exist, the committee heard.

Trading Standards officer, Robert Cooper, claimed that invoices produced by Mr Singh for the cases bought from the man were also fake and only produced later on by Mr Singh himself after the initial visit.

The premises are owned by a company called Global Star Plc, which also owns around 15 other pubs in Sandwell.

The company argued at the meeting that it had nothing to do with the counterfeit cases being found and claimed the supervisor was responsible.

Global Star Plc stated that Mr Singh would be removed as the designated premises supervisor but could not be removed completely as the lease was in his name.

The committee ruled that Mr Singh, should be removed from his position and the license of the premises suspended until a replacement is found.

Committee chairman Councillor Bob Piper said: "The removal of Mr Singh as the designated premises supervisor by Global Star Plc and temporary suspension of the license will serve to solve the issue.

"However more stringent systems should be put in place by Global Star Plc to ensure that this problem does not reoccur."

Meanwhile two shops in Birmingham have had their licences revoked after being found to be selling potentially harmful vodka.

More than 80 bottles of counterfeit or illicit vodka and whisky, representing more than £1,000 of stock and even more in unpaid UK duty, were seized from premises in Harborne and Sutton Coldfield during the summer.

Trading standards officers visited Drinks Direc, in Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield and Weymoor Post Office in Northfield Road, Harborne,.

They seized a total 38 bottles of spirits, all of which either had fake back labels incorporating fake UK duty stamps or the stamps had been tampered with.

Both shops' premises licences to sell alcohol were revoked indefinitely.