The Alcohol & Gambling Licensing Sub-Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on Tuesday 8 September 2026. The meeting was scheduled to consider a review of a premises licence for O&K Supermarket, located at 99-101 Kettering Road, Northampton.

Premises Licence Review Application - O&K Supermarket

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an application by Northamptonshire Police for a review of the premises licence for O&K Supermarket, 99-101 Kettering Road. This application was made on the grounds of failure to promote the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder.

The report pack detailed that the review application stemmed from an inspection on 10 June 2026, during which investigators, working with West Northamptonshire Trading Standards officers, conducted a test purchase. A packet of NZ Gold cigarettes was bought for £5. A subsequent search of the premises uncovered 464 packets of cigarettes and 17 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco hidden in a chicken coop at the rear of the property.

Of the seized items, 77 packets of cigarettes were alleged to be counterfeit due to non-standardised packaging. A further 159 packets of cigarettes and 17 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco were identified as non-duty paid, and 228 packets were described as cheap whites not intended for the UK market. The estimated value of the seized products was £7424 for the cigarettes and £680 for the hand-rolling tobacco.

The report highlighted that the tobacco products were not legal to be sold in the UK as they did not comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015. It was also suspected that some products were counterfeit, bearing infringing copies of registered trademarks. The current premises licence holder and Designated Premises Supervisor is Mr Baderkhan Abdulrahman. The premises is licensed for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises between Monday and Sunday, from 6:00 am to 12:00 am.

The report indicated that during the 28-day period for representations following the notice of review, no relevant representations were received from responsible authorities or other interested parties.

The sub-committee was presented with several options for action, as outlined in section 5 of the report. These included modifying the conditions of the licence, excluding a licensable activity, removing the Designated Premises Supervisor, suspending the premises licence for up to three months, or revoking the licence entirely.

The report also referenced previous incidents at the premises. On 5 June 2024, Police and Trading Standards found duty-free cigarettes and tobacco hidden under the counter, and no statutory tobacco notice was displayed. A further visit on 7 August 2024 resulted in the seizure of duty-not-paid cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, and illegal vapes. An application for a premises licence review was submitted following these incidents, and on 1 October 2024, the Sub-Committee decided to revoke the premises licence. However, the current report details a new application for review.

The report included detailed legal implications, referencing the Licensing Act 2003 and statutory guidance. It noted that decisions must be evidence-based, proportionate, and focused on promoting the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The guidance specifically mentions that the sale or storage of smuggled tobacco and alcohol should be treated particularly seriously, and revocation of the licence should be seriously considered in such cases.

The meeting was scheduled to be held remotely via Zoom. The attendees included Councillor Nigel Berrill, Councillor Adrian Cartwright, James Chadwick, Ed Bostock, Councillor Rosie Humphreys (Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group), and Michael Sands. Ed Bostock is a member of Democratic Services, and Michael Sands is the Licensing Team Leader.