A newsagent’s shop in East Lothian was caught selling double the amount of alcohol allowed during Euros 2024. The Shopsmart store, now operating as a Premier Store on Haddington High Street, applied for approval to extend its alcohol sales space after the incident. The East Lothian licensing board gave the shop a five-week reprieve to address the compliance issues.
During a visit in June, the board’s licensing standards officer found that the shop had allocated double the shelf space for alcohol sales, exceeding the legal limit. When questioned about this, the staff mentioned that it was to take advantage of the Euros. Additionally, the officer reported instances where staff provided false names during checks, and they had to intervene to prevent alcohol sales to potentially underage customers. The staff also failed to provide documentation proving their alcohol sales license and required training.
At a recent board meeting, Alastair MacDonald, representing the shop, requested a five-week extension to address the compliance issues. He expressed the intention to personally train the staff to ensure they understood and followed licensing rules. Board convenor Lachlan Bruce and local councillor George McGuire raised concerns about the shop’s short tenure with an alcohol license and its attractiveness to young people in the area.
Despite the concerns, the board approved the five-week extension for training. The licensing standards officer assured that additional visits would be conducted during this period to monitor compliance and provide feedback. During a previous visit, the officer had encountered a situation where a staff member failed to ask for identification from customers, leading to a potential proxy sale issue.
The case is scheduled to be revisited at the next board meeting in late November. The board’s decision reflects a commitment to ensuring that alcohol sales comply with regulations and do not contribute to underage drinking issues in the community. The shop’s initiative to train staff and improve compliance is a positive step towards responsible alcohol sales practices in East Lothian.