Immy G's: Halifax town centre shop ordered to pay hundreds for selling vodka to 14-year-old

The teen went into Immy G’s, also known as Newsline, on George Street last June and was successfully able to purchase a 20cl bottle of Glen Vodka.

Unbeknownst to the store, the 14-year-old was a test purchaser sent in by West Yorkshire Trading Standards after numerous complaints of underage alcohol sales.

Both the store and its director Imtiyaz Mamaniyat were charged with selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and were due to appear at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday).

Nobody attended the case, and they were found guilty in their absence.

Mr Hallam, prosecuting on behalf of Trading Standards, said: “Trading Standards have had numerous complaints dating back around nine years.”

He said it was not Mamaniyat who sold the alcohol but in an interview he admitted that, as director of the company, it was his responsibility.

Mr Hallam said Calderdale Council had stripped the shop of its alcohol licence late last year but pointed out that Mamaniyat still had a personal licence to sell alcohol.

He told magistrates that after being found guilty of this charge, Trading Standards would likely take action to remove this licence.

Magistrates fined Mamaniyat £330 and ordered him to pay £994 towards the court costs.

The business was fined the same amount, and ordered to pay £995 towards costs.

As reported by the Courier, West Yorkshire Police called for the shop’s licence to be removed following a string of incidents.