A Hounslow shop has had its licence revoked after it was found to be selling alcohol to underage customers and stocking illicit tobacco products.
Polski Sklep t/a Your Local Food & Wine, located at 491B London Road, Isleworth, had its premises licence revoked by Hounslow Council's Licensing Panel on Monday, August 17, 2026. The decision followed a review application by the council's Licensing Enforcement team, citing breaches of licensing objectives related to the prevention of crime and disorder, and the protection of children from harm.
During an underage sales exercise on April 9, 2026, a 15-year-old volunteer was able to purchase alcohol without being asked for identification. Subsequently, on May 28, 2026, a joint inspection by Trading Standards and Licensing teams discovered over 4,500 cigarettes in non-plain packaging, 237 non-compliant vapes, and three pouches of rolling tobacco. Some of these illicit items were found concealed within the premises.
Mr Jigar Priteshkumar Patel, representing the licence holder, admitted that alcohol had been sold to a minor and that illicit tobacco was being sold. He stated that changes had been made, including the dismissal of the staff member involved in the underage sale and Mr Patel undergoing training. The staff member involved in the underage sale was removed from their position.
He also claimed the illicit tobacco was purchased from a European seller and he believed it to be lawful.
Councillor Tony Louki, ward councillor for Osterley & Spring Grove, also raised concerns about the premises' proximity to schools and a college, highlighting the area's reputation for underage sales and illegal cigarettes.
The Licensing Panel considered the evidence and, citing Hounslow Council's Statement of Licensing Policy and statutory guidance, concluded that the licence holder's conduct fell significantly below expected standards. The sale of illicit tobacco and alcohol to underage customers was deemed to have seriously undermined the licensing objectives.
Given the severity of the breaches and the lack of demonstrable improvement after the initial incidents, the panel determined that a suspension would be insufficient and proceeded with the revocation of the licence. The decision is detailed in the Decisions Monday 17-Aug-2026 19.30 Licensing Panel.pdf.
Any party aggrieved with the decision of the Licensing Sub-Committee on one or more grounds set out in schedule 5 of Licensing Act 2003 may appeal to the local Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of notification of this decision.
While the meeting information does not explicitly state whether there were previous warnings or incidents involving this shop prior to the April and May 2026 inspections, it does mention that the licence holder's conduct had fallen considerably below expected standards
and that there was no tangible evidence of improvement
after the initial incidents.
