Barnet shop Nick Market is facing potential licence revocation following repeated violations related to the sale of illicit tobacco and non-compliant vaping products.
The Barnet Council Licensing Sub-Committee convened on Tuesday 21 October 2025, to review the premises licence for Nick Market, located at 809 High Road, London, N12 8JT, following an application for review submitted by Steven Taiwo, a Senior Trading Standards officer.
The application seeks to revoke the premises licence, citing repeated breaches of the Licensing Act 2003, specifically concerning the prevention of crime and disorder. The review was prompted by the discovery of smuggled goods, including non-duty paid cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, and non-compliant vape products, which violated regulations including The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 and The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024, according to the Public reports pack.
Beyond potential licence revocation, selling illicit tobacco and non-compliant vaping products can lead to prosecution to the full extent of the law. The Public reports pack also mentions civil immigration penalties that a licence holder has been required to pay for employing an illegal worker.
According to the report pack, the application stated that Nick Market had been repeatedly involved in the sale of illicit tobacco, and that in July 2025, this also included possession of non-compliant vaping products intended for supply. The application referred to an incident on 3 February 2022, when a test purchase resulted in the sale of a Polish Marlboro cigarette to an undercover officer. It also stated that on 22 November 2022, enforcement officers attended the premises with a tobacco detection dog and seized 408 packets of illegal cigarettes and 13 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco. Hossein Fathi, identified as the shop manager and director, admitted ownership and sale of the goods.
Further offences were documented on 14 March 2023, when 142 packets of cigarettes and 14 pouches of shisha tobacco were seized from the premises after a trading standards inspection. Formal written warnings were issued to Hossein Fathi and Mr Amiri, the directors, advising them to cease the sale of non-compliant tobacco and related products.
The application stated that these warnings were ignored, and illegal activity persisted, as evidenced by a test purchase of non-compliant cigarettes on 10 June 2025 and an inspection carried out on 17 July 2025. During the test purchase on 10 June 2025, a Trading Standards Apprentice Officer bought a packet of non-compliant Esse
cigarettes for £6.
A joint inspection was conducted on 17 July 2025 by Trading Standards, the Metropolitan Police, and a tobacco detection dog handler. The application stated that upon entry, Hossein Fathi attempted to flee the premises with a jacket containing illicit cigarettes, and that a search of the premises and a linked vehicle revealed 701 packets of non-compliant cigarettes, 30 packets of hand-rolling tobacco, and 257 disposable vapes.
The application also stated that on 29 July 2025, the business filed for strike-off on Companies House, and that an objection was lodged and granted until 26 January 2026.
The Metropolitan Police formally supported the review application. According to the Public reports pack, PC Wilcock stated that between April 2014 and the present, there had been several information reports concerning the premises, and that 9 of these reports stated police had witnessed known shoplifters frequenting the premises. The police stated that local officers had concerns that the shop staff may be buying stolen goods lifted from other retail premises nearby.
The police representation stated that between April 2014 and the present, there have been several information reports concerning this premises. Notably, 9 of these reports state police have witnessed known shoplifters frequenting the premises. There are no reports of shoplifting from this premises during the same time period. Local officers have concerns that the shop staff may be buying stolen goods lifted from other retail premises nearby.
The police also stated that during an inspection on 17 September 2025, Hossein Fathi was present and the sole person working at that time, and that the following conditions of the licence were in breach:
- Staff not being able to operate the CCTV and supply footage
- Failure to maintain a refusal/Incident log
- No notices reminding customers to leave quietly
- Sale of beer, larger & cider with an ABV 6.5% and above
- No copy of the licence produced or summary displayed as per section 57 licensing act
The Licensing Authority also supported the revocation of the premises licence for Nick Market. According to the Public reports pack, Zekiel Cudjoe, Senior Licensing Officer of the London Borough of Barnet, stated that Nick Market had been repeatedly found in possession of non-duty paid cigarettes, illicit hand-rolling tobacco, and non-compliant vapes, in breach of multiple regulations, and that the Police inspection on 17 September 2025 revealed multiple breaches of licence conditions.
The Sub-Committee will now deliberate in private session to determine the appropriate action, with a decision to be announced following their deliberations. Options available to the committee include modifying the licence conditions, suspending the licence, or revoking it entirely, according to the Licensing Sub-Committee Hearings Procedure. As alternatives to revocation, the Licensing Sub-Committee can also consider:
- Modifying the conditions of the license (altering, omitting, or adding new conditions)
- Excluding a licensable activity from the scope of the license
- Removing the designated premises supervisor
- Suspending the license for a period not exceeding three months
