A shop owner in Reading is under fire over allegations that he has handled stolen goods and illegal tobacco and is hiring an illegal worker.
Gurjeet Bajaj owns the Drinks 4 U convenience store in Market Place, Reading town centre, which sells a range of confectionery, tobacco, vapes, and soft and alcoholic drinks.
He currently has a licence to sell alcohol off the premises from 8am to 11pm daily.
But Mr Bajaj has been accused of handling stolen goods, selling duty-diverted tobacco and hiring a man who does not have the right to work in the UK.
These accusations have been levelled by Thames Valley Police, immigration enforcement and Reading Borough Council licensing officers on several visits.
Police officers accused Mr Bajaj of handling two jackets that they suspect were stolen, and found packets of cigarettes which they claim have been duty-diverted.
During a visit in April, a male shop attendant served customers. Officers remarked that the man appeared ‘drunk’ and ‘intoxicated’ during the inspection.
Mr Bajaj was not present during the visit, as he was at a cash and carry supplier at the time.
A report from immigration enforcement states that while the shop attendant has a valid visa that expires in July next year, the man’s visa was curtailed after his sponsor’s licence was revoked, meaning that he does not have the right to work in the UK.
Police also claimed they discovered 16 packets of tobacco, which they believe have been duty-diverted.
The inspection took place on April 1.
In a follow-up visit by South Central Immigration Compliance and Enforcement, Mr Bajaj admitted that the man would help in the shop for a fee of £5-£10 or would be remunerated with food.
Mr Bajaj took over the shop in June last year. It was previously called Top Choice Gadgets, which opened there in 2022.
In test purchases organised by the council’s trading standards team in August 2024, Mr Bajaj sold alcohol to a 16-year-old test purchaser, but he did correctly challenge and refuse a second test purchaser.
A follow-up test purchase was carried out this February, where a 14-year-old test purchaser was challenged for proof of age.
All of this information has been provided as Thames Valley Police licensing officer PC Delcan Smyth has called for a review of the alcohol licence.
Writing in support of Mr Bajaj, a man from Hilingdon, London, said: “I am a customer of this lovely shop, Drinks 4 U, and can sincerely praise the owners and their staff for providing an excellent service.
“It would be a great loss to see this business closed down, especially as I have never seen any of the charged cases taking place!
A fellow customer from Reading said: “Whenever I visit Reading high street with my kids, I always pop into Greggs next to this shop, Drinks 4 U.
“When I visit this shop, I usually buy a few drinks. However, I’ve never noticed anything suspicious or illegal going on there.”
A review of the licence to sell alcohol will be undertaken at a meeting of the council’s licensing applications sub-committee on Thursday, June 19.
