Former Hartlepool Shop Licence Holder Became ‘Untraceable’ After Underage Test Purchase
Licence Holder ‘Untraceable’ After Alleged Alcohol and Tobacco Sales to Children
17th Sep 2026
A former licence holder of a Hartlepool convenience store has become “untraceable” after Trading Standards sought to question him over alleged sales of alcohol and tobacco products to children, according to council licensing papers.
The details are contained in minutes from a Hartlepool Borough Council Licensing Sub-Committee hearing concerning Go Local at Victoria House, 24–26 Avenue Road, which are being presented to the councils upcoming Licensing Committee.
The premises had been referred for a licence review by the council’s Trading Standards team following concerns relating to the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm.
According to the committee record, an undercover test-purchase exercise was carried out in October 2025, during which age-restricted products were allegedly sold to 15 and 16-year-old volunteers.
The formal decision record identifies the previous premises licence holder as Kulasingam Chandramohan and states that alcohol and tobacco products had been sold to underage buyers during a test-purchase operation on 10 October 2025.
However, the papers go on to state that Mr Chandramohan had not responded to requests to attend an interview under caution with Trading Standards officers and had subsequently become “untraceable”.
The council's record states:
“Mr Chandramohan had not responded to requests that he attend interview under caution with the trading standard officers in respect of the offences committed on 10 October 2025 and had since become untraceable and had therefore not faced any prosecution proceedings to date.”
Business changed hands...
The council reportedly then received an application in November 2025 to transfer the premises licence and designated premises supervisor, which was subsequently granted.
The new licence holder told councillors that he'd not been involved with the business when the October test purchase occurred.
A lease produced during the hearing showed that the premises had changed hands in November 2025, with the new operator's representatives claiming he'd had no connection with the previous owner at the time of the alleged underage sales and that only one employee from the previous operation remained working at the shop.
Councillors therefore accepted that the alleged October sales could not simply be attributed to the new licence holder.
But the premises subsequently came under the spotlight again, when a further Trading Standards test then purchase took place in December 2025, when its claimed an officer was sold a bottle of alcohol at 11.37pm, despite the premises only being licensed to sell alcohol until 11.30pm.
More concerningly, the committee record states there was evidence that the employee responsible knew the sale was taking place outside permitted hours and asked the customer to conceal the purchase when leaving the shop.
The employee remained at the premises but had been placed on a final written warning, while additional training and compliance measures had been introduced.
Formal warning issued
Cleveland Police, Hartlepool Borough Council's Public Health Department and the councils Harms Outside the Home Team all supported the licensing review, with concerns raised about the protection of children and the prevention of crime and disorder.
After considering the evidence, councillors accepted that responsibility for the earlier alleged sales involving minors could not be attached to the new licence holder because ownership had changed.
For the later breach involving alcohol being sold outside permitted hours, however, the sub-committee unanimously decided to issue a formal warning, with the councils licensing committee stating that the warning was necessary and proportionate, making it clear that any further breaches could result in more serious action against the premises licence holder..
