Police confiscate all alcohol from Lancashire shop after reprimand over 'criminal activity'
Police and town hall officers have removed all booze from the shelves of a Blackburn convenience store after it lost its appeal over the stripping of its alcohol licence by the council.
ABC Foods in the town centre’s King Street is no longer able to sell alcohol.
If it does so the owners and staff face prosecution. In February last year the shop lost its alcohol licence following reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity taking place in and around the premises.
ABC Foods appealed the decision by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s licensing committee.
But following a number of court hearings, on Wednesday the judge at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court dismissed the appeal when no one from ABC Foods turned up.
An order for costs was made in the sum of £4,506.
A council spokeswoman said: “As a result, the council’s licensing team and Blackburn and Darwen Police visited ABC Foods to oversee the removal of all the alcohol from the shelves.
“If ABC Foods are found to be selling alcohol in future, they could be prosecuted.”
The February 2025 decision followed the council’s trading standards team finding illicit tobacco concealed at the premises on two occasions.
Its request that the licence be reviewed was supported by Blackburn and Darwen Police, the Community Safety Team and a local business which had witnessed and received evidence of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity taking place in and around the premises due to on-street drinkers.