The Western Area Licensing Sub Committee was scheduled to convene to review the premises licence for 7 Days Trowbridge Ltd, following a closure order issued by Salisbury Magistrates Court. The meeting was to consider representations from responsible authorities and the premises licence holder, and determine whether to modify, suspend, or revoke the licence. The sub committee was also scheduled to elect a chair for the meeting.

Review of Premises Licence: 7 Days Trowbridge Ltd

The primary focus of the meeting was to be a review of the premises licence held by 7 Days Trowbridge Ltd, located at 7 Wicker Hill, Trowbridge. This review was triggered by a Closure Order issued by Salisbury Magistrates Court on 19 June 2025, under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Policing and Crime Act 2014. The closure order, which closed the premises for one month, was sought by Wiltshire Council via Trading Standards following allegations and sales of illicit tobacco and vape products.

The report pack included a report from Teresa Isaacson, Public Protection Officer, which provided background information on the case, and outlined the legal implications of the Closure Order under Section 167 of the Licensing Act 2003. According to the report, the sub-committee was to consider:

• The review and any relevant representations.
• Representations by the premises licence holder.
• Any other relevant representations made.

Relevant representations are those that relate to one or more of the licensing objectives¹, have not been withdrawn, and were made within the specified period.

The sub-committee was to consider taking steps such as modifying the licence conditions, excluding a licensable activity, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the licence (for up to three months), or revoking the licence.

According to the report pack, 7 Days Trowbridge Ltd has held a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 since 2012, with the current licence holder, 7 Days Trowbridge Ltd, having transferred the licence on 11 April 2022. According to Companies House, Mr. Hawkar Aziz Mohamed is the registered active director of the company.

The report pack included representations from two responsible authorities:

• Trading Standards Authority, Wiltshire Council
• Licensing Authority, Wiltshire Council

Trading Standards Representation

The Trading Standards representation detailed a history of issues at the premises, including the sale of illicit tobacco products and illegal disposable vapes. According to the representation, Trading Standards had received many reports since the business opened in June 2022, and despite advice being given, the reports had persisted.

The representation cited several incidents, including:

• September 2022: Seizure of 58 illegal disposable nicotine inhaling vapes.
• July 2023: An undercover officer purchased a packet of counterfeit Lambert & Butler cigarettes for £5.
• October 2023: Discovery of 1500 non-compliant nicotine inhaling disposable vapes and non-compliant labelled tobacco products.
• May 2024: An undercover test purchase of cigarettes that contravened the UK health labelling requirements.
• March 2025: Inspection noting the premises had extended into the adjoining property, 6 Wicker Hill, without a variation to the premises licence.
• April 2025: Police seizure of hundreds of suspected packets of illicit cigarettes and pouches of hand rolling tobacco, along with £1214 in cash, from a person seen pulling a suitcase in the direction of Wicker Hill. A search of the shop found a duffle bag containing a large amount of illicit tobacco products and over £3000 in cash, along with another £3000 on the owner of the shop, Mr Mohamed.

According to the representation, the seized tobacco products were found to be illegal, either failing to bear the UK health warnings, being counterfeit, or not in plain packaging.

The Trading Standards representation argued that these activities undermine legitimate businesses, evade tax revenue, and pose significant risks to public health and safety, and that the sale of illicit tobacco and unregulated vaping products is known to contribute to increased crime and disorder in the local community.

The representation requested that the Licensing Authority consider this information when reviewing the premises licence and urged the authority to carefully consider the relevant actions available to uphold the licensing objectives.

Licensing Authority Representation

The Licensing Authority representation supported the matters raised by Trading Standards and expressed concerns about the undermining of the licensing objective, the prevention of crime and disorder. The representation noted a history of reports and intelligence concerning activity at the premises.

The representation also raised concerns about the premises licence holder's ability to comply with requirements under the Licensing Act 2003, noting that a suspension notice was issued on 11 September 2023 for failure to pay the annual fee. It was also noted that on 11 March 2025, Trading Standards identified that the premises was selling alcohol while the licence was suspended, resulting in a formal warning.

The representation also noted that the premises licence holder applied to change their registered address on the premises licence to 7 Wicker Hill, Trowbridge, BA14 8JS on 12 March 2025, despite Companies House showing the registered office had been changed to that address on 26 February 2024. The representation stated that the licence holder has a duty to notify the licensing authority of any change in name or address as soon as reasonably practicable under Section 33 of the Licensing Act 2003, and that it is an offence if they fail to comply with this section without reasonable excuse.

The Licensing Authority representation also noted that the premises had extended into the adjoining property, 6 Wicker Hill, Trowbridge, and that an internal adjoining wall had been removed, and that such a change would require a variation of a premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003 or a new application under Section 17, neither of which had been received.

The representation urged the Licensing Sub-Committee to carefully consider the licence and the appropriate actions available.

Election of Chairman

The first item on the agenda was the election of a chairman for the meeting of the sub committee.