A convenience store in west Reading could lose its booze licence after illicit alcohol and tobacco was found on the premises.

PAL Food and Wine’s premises licence is under review after an investigation found duty-diverted alcohol and cigarettes on the premises in February.

This was the second time that illicit alcohol has been found at the Oxford Road store, with two bottles of duty-diverted brandy found on the premises in May 2015.

The store has also failed four Challenge 25 test purchases.

Trading standards officer Ian Savill said: “The premises is failing in its duty to promote the licensing objectives of crime and disorder and protecting children from harm.

“Illicit alcohol was found on more than one occasion. There are no acceptable excuses or justification that can be offered for this.

“A licence holder as a responsible trader should be checking their alcohol and tobacco stock to ensure it is lawful to sell.

“The the only appropriate and proportionate step to promote the licensing objectives and safeguard the public as a whole, is for the licence to be revoked.

“Allowing this premises to continue to operate with the benefit of a premises licence will merely serve to perpetuate the criminal activity already apparent.”

On February 26, 2019, more than 7,000 illicit cigarettes were found at the back of the store

At a further visit in March, wine was found that Mr Savill suggested was bought on the black market.

Thames Valley Police licensing officer Declan Smyth has also called for the licensing committee to revoke the store’s licence.

He said: “Due to the history of this site and the nature of the incidents leading to this review it is imperative that these criminal activities and wholesale failures are not repeated.

“This premises licence holder has shown a complete disregard for all manner of laws and has committed extremely serious criminal offences from the premises which he operates.

“Specifically the sale of counterfeit alcohol and tobacco may significantly raise concerns in relation to public safety and the potential for such goods to be related to the funding of organised crime.”

The council’s licensing team will review Pal Food and Wine’s licence on Thursday, June 6.