The Licensing Panel of Hounslow Council met on Thursday 15 October 2026 and made decisions regarding two premises licences. The licences for Swan News t/a U R Local and Newsbox, both located on Rochester Parade in Feltham, were revoked.

Swan News t/a U R Local and Newsbox Premises Licence Revocations

The Licensing Panel revoked the premises licences for Swan News t/a U R Local and Newsbox, both located at 3 and 5 Rochester Parade, High Street, Feltham TW13 4DX respectively. The applications for review were brought by Bob Dear, Licensing Enforcement, Regulatory Enforcement Officer for the London Borough of Hounslow, due to serious concerns that the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective was being undermined.

In both cases, the Panel found that illicit tobacco products had been discovered and concealed within the premises. For Swan News, illicit tobacco and Kamagra products were found, with the illicit tobacco concealed behind the sales counter. For Newsbox, illicit tobacco products were found concealed beneath confectionery and had been entered onto the till system.

The Panel noted that the Premises Licence Holder for Swan News was Mr Dilmeet Singh Arora, who was also the sole director of Mehnaaz Food & Wine Ltd, the company behind Newsbox. Concerns regarding illicit tobacco products had already arisen at Swan News approximately one week prior to the inspection of Newsbox. The Panel found that the Premises Licence Holder for Newsbox, Mr Kiranjeet Singh Arora, was aware of the earlier inspection and should have made enquiries regarding stock at Newsbox.

In both hearings, the Premises Licence Holders accepted that products had been found and expressed regret, suggesting that a suspension of the licence with additional conditions would be a more proportionate outcome than revocation. However, the Panel did not find the explanations provided by the Premises Licence Holders to be credible or satisfactory. The Panel was concerned that responsibility for the offending was minimised or attributed elsewhere, and that there was a failure to fully acknowledge the seriousness of the offending or accept full responsibility.

The Panel considered paragraphs 11.28 and 11.29 of the Secretary of State's Guidance, which state that the sale or storage of smuggled tobacco and goods should be treated particularly seriously and that revocation should be seriously considered. The Panel concluded that the conduct identified in both cases constituted serious criminal conduct and that revocation was both necessary and proportionate to promote the licensing objectives.

The Premises Licence Holders have the right to appeal these decisions to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days of notification.

Appointment of Chair

Councillor Theo Dennison was appointed as the Chair of the Licensing Panel for the meeting. He thanked Councillor Tony Louki for his attendance.