Shop loses licence after selling alcohol to teens

A 24-hour shop has been banned from selling alcohol after staff were filmed selling it to teenagers.

The store in St Peter's Road, Great Yarmouth has had its licence revoked after two incidents within six months of each other.

A council licensing committee meeting was shown CCTV images of four teenagers purchasing alcohol and heard parents had complained to shop staff after finding their children, aged as young as 13, intoxicated and unwell.

A representative for the shop's owner said the decision was "an opportunity to make improvements" and it would continue to serve the community.

In footage from September 2024, three underage girls could be seen taking swigs from a bottle of vodka at the till, having not been asked for ID by staff.

Another incident in February 2025 involved 13 and 14-year-old boys.

Norfolk Polices licensing officer Michelle Bartrum told the meeting the force had "serious concerns" about the management of the shop.

Owner Vethanayakampillai Satheeskumar said he would ensure his employees had additional training and vowed it would not happen again.

But councillors unanimously voted to revoke the shop's licence.

They said staff acted in a "completely unacceptable" manner by serving teenagers alcohol.

Following the decision, a licensing agent representing Mr Satheeskumar said: "It is what it is, but this is a great opportunity for us to go further in terms of being a community store.

"We will continue working with the local community, particularly the hospital workers, taxi drivers and factory staff who rely on us."

St Peter's Road has been gaining a reputation for trouble with anti-social behaviour and locals said there had been problems for a long time, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

One resident blamed the number of places selling alcohol into the early hours of the morning.

It has five other shops selling alcohol, three of which are open until 03:00.

A man who lived nearby complained in a letter to the council about a drunk man who tried to enter his home before passing out on his doorstep.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has recently introduced tougher powers that allow officers to issue fines for drinking in certain public places and for antisocial behaviour, such as urinating in the street.

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