A shop has lost its drinks licence for three months after it was caught selling alcohol to a child and trading standards officers found a stash of illicit vapes.
West Sussex County Council said: “The licence to sell alcohol at 7G Plus, in The Martlets, Crawley, has been suspended for three months after a child was sold alcohol and trading standards officers discovered illegal and unsafe products on the premises.
“West Sussex County Council trading standards officers carried out a series of inspections at 7G Plus between July 2025 and March 2026.
“During these visits, they found potentially unsafe travel adaptors that did not meet UK safety standards and more than 100 single-use vapes hidden beneath the counter.
“Advice was given to the licence holder, Sanjeet Ram, about these and other products stocked by the store and the legal requirements relating to their sale.
“Despite this, in April 2026, when the officers asked a 16-year-old volunteer to check whether the shop was carrying out the required age checks on alcohol sales, he was able to buy a can of vodka cocktail without being asked for identification, even though the shop’s till system flagged the product as age-restricted.
“As a result, West Sussex County Council Trading Standards applied to Crawley Borough Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee for a review of the premises licence.
“At a hearing on Thursday 2 July, the committee suspended Mr Ram’s premises licence for three months.
“It also removed him as the ‘designated premises superviser’ (DPS) – the person responsible for the day-to-day management of a business licensed to sell alcohol and imposed additional licence conditions.”
Councillor Tracie Bangert, the county council’s cabinet member for trading standards, said: “This case shows our determination to protect residents and take action against businesses that break the law.
“Selling alcohol to children, possessing illegal single-use vapes and offering products that don’t comply with safety regulations are serious offences that put consumers at risk.
“Our trading standards team works hard to keep communities safe and support responsible businesses. We will not hesitate to take action where traders fail to meet their legal responsibilities.”
The county council added: “The three-month suspension, which is the maximum period allowed under licensing legislation, was imposed because of the seriousness of the offences.
“(It) gives the licence-holder time to put appropriate measures in place to ensure the business complies with the law in future.
“The suspension is also intended to act as a deterrent to other businesses.”
To report an issue to West Sussex Trading Standards, click here.
