A CONVENIENCE store risks having its alcohol licence revoked for selling booze to known street drinkers.

Hampshire Constabulary has called for a review of the licence for the Premier Stores outlet, in Winchester Street, Basingstoke, for non-compliance with conditions.

In the review application submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC), police say licence holder Shanmukha Gunda failed to comply with the force’s attempt to discourage anti-social behaviour in the area by ignoring a list of known street drinkers and selling alcohol to at least one.

The application report read: “For a period of time and whilst under the constant observations of both police and council licensing officers compliance was achieved, however as soon as the officers concentrated on other business Mr Gunda slipped back into non-compliance.”

The report states a complaint was made to police in April 2017 that Mr Gunda was selling alcohol and cigarettes to a known local street drinker, who was then seen handing the goods to children in school uniform.

Following this complaint, officers visited the premises to find Mr Gunda had left a Ramdash Dinesh to man the shop, while he was in India for a funeral.

The application report read Mr Dinesh had no training on the Licensing Act and was unaware of the condition on the store’s licence.

The report adds: “Whilst speaking with Ramdash a female street drinker came into the shop. She was clearly drunk and smelt heavily of alcohol.

“She selected a bottle of wine and went to the till. She appeared very young and no request was made for any ID. The sale was made despite her drunken state.”

A BDBC licensing sub-committee is due to hear the application at a meeting on Monday, 25 September.