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27/02/2026
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Subject |
Application for a
review of the Premises Licence at Bobby’s Food and
Wine, 163 High Street, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4PA |
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Purpose |
For determination |
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Report of |
Deputy Chief Executive |
Ward |
Staines |
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Contact |
Fidelma Bahoshy – Joint Senior Environmental Health Manager and Hannah McCully, Licensing Enforcement Officer |
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Description and Location |
Bobby's Food and Wine is a small convenience off licence shop located at 163 High Street, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4PA.The premises is located on a main road, with residential properties situated above and directly opposite. They form part of a parade of commercial units and is flanked by businesses on both sides. Plan at Appendix A |
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The Application
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On the 6th of January 2026, Buckingham and Surrey Trading Standards (“Trading Standards”) , a Responsible Authority under the Licensing Act 2003 applied to the Licensing Authority to review the premises licence. The application is to review the Premises Licence under the Licensing Objectives of Crime and Disorder and is made by Trading Standards. The current licence is attached at Appendix B, together with the current plan. The review application is attached at Appendix C. |
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Representations |
Relevant representations in support of the review received from · The Licensing Authority (Appendix D) received 03/02/2026 · Surrey Police (Appendix E) received 03/02/2026
Letters of representation are attached at Appendices D and E |
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Options
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1. The Sub-Committee is requested to consider the application for the review of a premises licence on its merits. 2. Having had regard to the representations, the Sub-Committee must decide on one or more of the following options as it considers appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives:
· Modify the conditions OR · Exclude a licensable activity OR · Remove the Designated Premises Supervisor OR · Suspend the licence for up to 3 months OR · Revoke the licence OR · No action required
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1. Background
1.1 The Premises Licence Holder (PLH) and Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) is Mr Pawndeep Bajaj. Bobby’s Food and Wine was originally granted a premises licence in March 2014. An application to transfer the PLH to Mr Pawndeep Bajaj and the DPS to Mr Balwinder Singh was submitted on 4 October 2023, followed by a further transfer of the DPS to Mr Pawndeep Bajaj on 6 January 2026.
The current premises licence allows the sale by retail of alcohol for consumption off the premises and is detailed below. The opening hours of the premises are also detailed below:
· Sale by Retail of Alcohol – Every Day from 08:00 until 23:00
· Opening hours - Every Day from 08:00 until 23:00
1.2 Conditions attached to the Premises licence in Annex 2 are as follows :
Age Verification Policy
An age verification policy (minimum of Challenge 25) will be operated so that any person wishing to purchase alcohol who appears to be 25 or under will be asked to provide acceptable photographic ID such as a driver’s licence, passport or any nationally approved proof of age scheme ID card such as the 'Pass' scheme cards, to prove that they are over 18 years of age.
If no acceptable ID is provided no sale shall take place.
Challenge 25 posters will be displayed in the shop in prominent areas around the alcohol section and at the point of sale area.
All staff, paid and unpaid, will be trained on the Challenge 25 policy and a signed training record will be kept for each trained member of staff.
Refusals Log Book
A refusals book, bound and with pre-printed page numbers, will be kept at the premises detailing all refusals of alcohol for reasons of
a. intoxication (being drunk)
b. a person being under 18 years of age
c. A person failing to produce ID on request
The refusals book will be available for inspection by any ‘responsible authority’ upon request and such records will include details of the name of the person refusing the sale and their signature.
UV light
A working UV light is to be kept at the premises, near to the point of sale area, to check IDs.
Staff Licensing Training
All staff (paid or unpaid) shall be fully trained in licensing legislation in relation to the Licensing Act 2003, including:
· proof of age training, including training on recognising fake identification
· proxy purchasing
· assertiveness training to ensure that all staff are capable of being robust in refusing sales of alcohol to underage or drunk persons,
· conditions of this premises licence
Training records will be available for inspection on request and will include details of the names of staff members trained including their signature, date of training, and a summary of the matters covered in the training including any material used.
CCTV
CCTV will be provided in the form of a recordable system, capable of providing pictures of evidential quality in all reasonable lighting conditions and particularly facial recognition. Cameras will cover all points of customer entry and exit to the premises.
Equipment will be maintained in working order, will show the correct time and date stamp and recordings will be kept for a period of at least 30 days.
An operational daily log must be kept, showing the CCTV has been checked and is working, bearing the signature of the person checking the system.
In the event of technical failure of the CCTV equipment the Premises Licence holder, or person nominated in writing by the Premises Licence Holder responsible for the premises at the time, must report the failure to the police licensing team and council licensing team.
The Premises Licence Holder must ensure at all times when the premises is open to the public that there is a person nominated in writing by themselves present who can operate the system. This staff member shall be able to show police recent data or footage with the minimum of delay when requested.
The Premises Licence Holder must also ensure that at all times when the premises is open to the public there is a person, nominated in writing by themselves, that is capable and competent at downloading CCTV footage onto CD rom format for the police or local authority within 48 hours of request and have the necessary equipment to be able to do this.
Incident Book
All incidents of crime and disorder will be reported to the Police as soon as is practicable and be recorded in an incident book which will be kept at the premises and be available for inspection by any responsible authority on request.
1.3 Compliance visits
Spelthorne Borough Licensing Enforcement Officers have made the following compliance visits and noted the subsequent breaches of the conditions.
27 February 2024
· No UV light.
· No CCTV log.
· Staff unable to operate the CCTV.
· No incident book.
· No training records provided, nor any summary of the training delivered, including the materials used.
Compliance email was sent to both the PLH and DPS detailing the breaches
11 November 2024
· No premises licence summary on display.
· No section 57 notice displayed.
· No working CCTV.
· Daily CCTV log not being completed.
· No written nomination to show which staff member could operate the CCTV.
· No UV light.
· No Challenge 25 posters displayed.
· Staff questioned about Challenge 25 and could not answer. No understanding of Proxy sales.
· Staff didn’t know or the licence conditions.
· No training records provided, nor any summary of the training delivered, including the materials used.
Compliance email was sent to both the PLH and DPS detailing the breaches
10 December 2024
· No section 57 notice displayed.
· No written nomination to show which staff member could operate the CCTV.
· No training records provided, nor any summary of the training delivered, including the materials used.
Compliance email was sent to both the PLH and DPS detailing the breaches
16 April 2025
· No section 57 notice displayed.
· No training record for staff working there.
· Staff training was inadequate and did not address the issue of drunk individuals attempting to purchase alcohol
· Staff member not able to use or download the CCTV.
· The refusal book consisted only of loose sheets of paper rather than a properly bound book.
· Premises plan not correct.
Compliance email was sent to both the PLH and DPS detailing the breaches
31 October 2025
· Staff not able to operate CCTV.
The PLH was contacted by telephone at this time and informed of the breach.
1 November 2025
· The same staff member encountered during the previous visit was still unable to operate the CCTV system
Record of breach made
1.4 Repeated Attempts to Contact the DPS
11 November 2024 Licensing Enforcement officer spoke to PLH and asked for contact details of DPS and was given a Gmail address for him and the compliance email was sent to this address as well.
6 December 2024 further email to DPS Gmail address asking to meet him at the venue.
10 December 2024 further compliance email sent to DPS Gmail address.
10 January 2025 Further email to DPS Gmail address.
17 January 2024 Licensing enforcement officer spoke to the PLH at the shop, who confirmed that the DPS’s Gmail account was correct. The PLH then sent the DPS a WhatsApp message containing a photograph of the officer’s business card
25 January 2025 Received a first response from the DPS using a Hotmail account and he stated that he hadn’t used the Gmail account for some time.
13 February 2025 Licensing enforcement officer asked to meet DPS at venue on 31 January 2025, but he failed to attend. He was spoken to on the phone and stated that he had a family emergency.
26 February 2025 Email sent to DPS asking him to make contact.
4 March 2025 Met the DPS at venue and he stated that he would be there at least twice a week, to prove this, he was asked to sign the CCTV register as proof of attendance.
17 April 2025, the CCTV log was checked, and it was noted that the DPS had not signed it. An email was sent requesting a response, but no reply was received.
Licensing Enforcement officer had spoken to the DPS after the licence had been called into review and he was not aware of this.
Despite repeated emails, calls and arranged meetings, the DPS, Mr Singh failed to attend or maintain consistent contact, citing ongoing family issues. Staff at the premises did not know who the DPS was, and the licence holder repeatedly provided outdated contact information. Mr Singh has offered no evidence of involvement in the running of the premises and confirmed he had not visited since December. Additional concerns were identified regarding a student employee working excessive hours without supervision.
There is insufficient evidence that the premises has an active DPS.
2. Review Application
2.1The Sub-Committee is asked to consider and determine an application submitted on 6th January 2026 from Trading Standards for the review of a Premises Licence for Bobbys Food and Wine held by Mr Pawndeep Bajaj. The application for the review of the Premises Licence is attached at Appendix C.
2.2 The Application for the Review of the Premise Licence is made on the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective.
2.3 The Applicant for a Review is required to forward copies of the application to the Responsible Authorities with a view to any of these Responsible Authorities making a supporting representation if deemed appropriate.
2.4 Trading Standards served the Application for Review on the Premises Licence Holder in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003.
2.5 The Notice of Review was displayed at the licensed premises between 7th January 2026 and 7th February 2026 and in the reception area of the Council Offices and the notice board outside the Civic Offices as well as the Council’s website. Several checks have been made by Licensing Officers at the premises to ensure the required notice is always on display. Two were present , one on main window of the shop and one on shutters.
3. Chronology of grounds given for review from Trading Standards
3.1 2024
· 12 Feb 2024: Trading Standards test purchase failure – vape sold to a 17‑year‑old. Warning letter issued.
· 29 Feb 2024: Licensing visit – non‑compliance with licence conditions; suspicious tobacco activity observed.
· 11 Jun 2024: Joint visit – underage alcohol sale; multiple licence breaches; non‑compliant food items.
· 4 Oct 2024: Complaint – alcohol and vapes sold to children.
· 8 Oct 2024: Parent reports 14‑year‑old bought a 70cl vodka and vapes.
· 9 Oct 2024: Intelligence – alcoholic slushies displayed.
· 22 Oct 2024: Complaint – children aged 12–13 regularly buying vapes/nicotine pouches.
· 4 Nov 2024: Intelligence – vape sales to children and smuggled tobacco; associated ASB.
· 7 Nov 2024: Intelligence – alcoholic slushies sold.
· 22 Nov 2024: Intelligence – vape sales to children.
· 11 Dec 2024: TS visit – allegations denied; DPS concerns; illicit/suspect food and cheap super‑strength beer noted.
3.2 2025
· 24 Mar 2025: Intelligence – vape sales to children and ASB.
· 16 Apr 2025: Multi‑agency inspection – illicit tobacco and single‑use vapes seized.
· 13 May 2025: Intelligence – alcohol and vapes sold to children for onward resale.
· 2 Jun 2025: Complaint – 13‑year‑old in school uniform bought vapes.
· 9 Jul 2025: TS visit – counterfeit toys and food compliance issues.
· Aug 2025: Intelligence – 15‑year‑old buying vapes.
· 27 Aug 2025: Police/TS test purchase passed but hidden vapes/tobacco found.
4. Surrey Police support the review application submitted by Trading Standards and that consideration is given to the revocation of the Premises Licence as the Premises Licence Holder has failed in their responsibility to uphold the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm.
5. The persistent breaches of licensing conditions over the last 20 months have not sufficiently addressed the concerns raised by the licensing authority. Over that time, this has not brought about sufficient and adequate management responses and, actions from the premises licence holder to rectify the breaches brought to their attention. It is felt that the current premises licence conditions are suitable for this premises and no further conditions can be imposed that will have an effect of how the venue is managed. Therefore, the Licensing Authority support the review of the premises licence and consideration should be given to the revocation of the Premises Licence.
6. Promotion of the Licensing Objectives
6.1 The Licensing Objectives together with examples from Government Guidance are set out below for information:
Prevention of crime and disorder
· Criminal behaviour on, or directly attributable to, the premises.
· Under age sales
· Anti-social behaviour on, or directly attributable to, the premises.
Public safety
· E.g. overcrowding, fire safety, emergency exits and anything related to the safety of the public within the premises.
Prevention of public nuisance
· Noise/light or odour nuisance
· Litter
Protection of children from harm
· In relation to off sales of alcohol, the most relevant issue under this licensing objective is the prevention of sales of alcohol to under 18s
7. Representations
7.1 Representations from Responsible Authorities
There have been 2 representations from responsible authorities :
· Licensing Authority (Appendix D)
· Surrey Police (Appendix E)
7.2 The grounds for objection are summarised below in relation to each Licensing Objective.
General – all four licensing objectives
There has been a history of non-compliance when various breaches of the Licensing Act 2003 have been identified and the licence holder/DPS has been made aware of these on many occasions and failed to take rectify them.
· The Licensing Enforcement Officer has raised concerns that there is insufficient evidence that the premises has an active DPS even after repeated emails, calls and arranged meetings, Mr Singh failed to attend or maintain consistent contact.
Prevention of crime and disorder
The consistent lack of compliance with licensing conditions in respect of the requirements for training records and evidence of training understood by staff; lack of operational CCTV or staff knowing how to operate or download the CCTV on request or requirements for age verification or understanding of Challenge 25 shows an inability to comply with the prevention of crime or disorder licensing objective.
Protection of children from harm
Safeguarding Concerns raised.
The licence holder is not complying with the objective to ensure that age verification procedures relating to age restricted sales are in place to prevent children acquiring or consuming age restricted products. This is evidenced by the lack of age verification notices or procedures being in place and the lack of understanding of these policies or any demonstrable training undertaken by staff in this regard.
The multiple compliance visits show that the training records from the premises were not available thus suggesting that no member of staff has been trained sufficiently in the sales of alcohol to children, albeit on one occasion a test purchase by a child for alcohol failed and the child was not sold alcohol.
7.3 Issues which are not relevant to the licensing objectives and cannot be taken into account by a Licensing Sub-Committee:
· Objections on the basis of need, or lack of need, for premises to sell alcohol
· Parking, or other issues relating to general amenity rather than licensing objectives
· Matters or concerns not related to licensable activities i.e. illegal tobacco, vapes or food stuffs.
8. Licensing Policy
8.1 The following sections of the Council’s Licensing Policy are relevant.
· List section and paragraphs and to what each relates
9. National Guidance
9.1 The relevant section from the National Guidance issued by the Secretary of State under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 on determination of a Review is attached at Appendix F.
9.2 In addition, the following sections of the Guidance are relevant in the consideration of this application:
· List Paragraphs of Guidance and to what each relates
10. Making a decision
10.1 In making its decision the Sub-Committee must promote the licensing objectives only, taking into account National Guidance and Spelthorne’s Statement of Licensing Policy.
10.2 The Sub-Committee must give reasons for its decision.
10.3 It is only where additional and supplementary measures are appropriate to promote the licensing objectives that there will be a requirement for appropriate, proportionate conditions to be attached.
10.4 Conditions on licences must:
• be precise and enforceable;
• be unambiguous;
• not duplicate other statutory provisions;
• be clear in what they intend to achieve; and,
• be appropriate, proportionate and justifiable.
Appendices:
Appendix A – Location Plan
Appendix B – Current Licence
Appendix C – Review Application
Appendix D – Representations from Licensing Authority
Appendix E – Representations from Surrey Police
Appendix F – Extract from National Guidance on Reviews