A BID by the new owners of a Bolton off licence to serve alcohol until 2am during the post-Christmas week, has been blocked, it has emerged.

Police licensing chiefs had objected to the attempt by bosses Royal Booze, in St Helens Road, Daubhill, for a temporary event notice, allowing off licence sales from 11pm to 2am from Wednesday, December 28, to next Tuesday.

But Pc Ben Brookfield told councillors that a raid had been conducted at Royal Booze on October 29, during which “a large quantity of illicit tobacco and nitrous oxide canisters were found and seized.

Another visit to the same premises on December 13 saw four bottle of vodka, linked to an illegal distillery uncovered by customs officials, seized by officers.

Councillors sitting on a licensing sub-committee heard the area had been ‘blighted by anti-social behaviour’.

Pc Brookfield said that following another similar temporary event notice, granted for December 13 and 16, there had been further incidents and he feared a repeat if the new notice was allowed.

Representatives for Royal Booze insisted the new designated premises supervisor had only picked up the keys for the shop on December 1.

But the committee was told it was accepted that the licence was transferred to the new regime in September.

The new owners accepted they had made ‘a genuine mistake’ in purchasing a large amount of alcohol from a neighbouring shop, Dinos, which had been closing down at the time. No further action had been forthcoming as a result of the December 13 visit. A new extra CCTV camera was also said to have been installed to cove the exterior of the shop.

The Royal Booze representatives also said the majority of the trouble with anti-social behaviour could be linked to Dinos, next door, which had now closed.

But councillors ruled that a counter notice should be served to the temporary event notice, preventing it from going ahead.

Members of the committee felt that despite being advised to steer clear of the next door premises, the Royal Booze owners had purchased large quantities of cheap alcohol, including four bottles of spirits later deemed to be illegal.

And while councillors accepted the premises supervisor may have made ‘a stupid mistake’, it was felt this was not an appropriate approach for a responsible off licence owner to take.

Last May councillors revoked the licence held by Javad Asli for the neighbouring Dinos Mini Market.

Video footage was showed to the borough’s licensing committee showing a young man buying a box of nitrous oxide cannisters to share with friends.

An investigation also uncovered an illegal barbers, flouting coronavirus regulations.