A Spalding kebab shop that sold vodka contaminated with a paint stripper chemical has lost its bid to have its premises licence returned.
Zorba 3, in Winsover Road, had the licence revoked by South Holland District Council’s licensing committee in October last year.
On Wednesday, the council won a battle at Spalding Magistrates’ Court – and the shop’s appeal was dismissed.
Coun Malcolm Chandler, who chaired the licensing committee when Zorba 3’s licence was taken away, said after the court hearing: “We work closely with Trading Standards to make sure that where infringements are found we act to ensure the public are properly protected.”
At October’s licensing committee hearing, Zorba 3 licence holder Salman Pelit admitted buying vodka from a white Transit van because it was “cheap” and selling it to customers.
Trading Standards and police swooped on May 4 last year, finding vodka contaminated with the chemical T-butanol as well as smuggled bottles without UK duty-paid stamps.
Pelit was in court in February this year and had to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs.
He admitted offences including not being able to identify his supplier – selling alcohol labelled as vodka when it was under strength and two counts of selling non duty paid alcohol.
Jo Furner, prosecuting for Trading Standards, said some bottles contained T-butanol.
She told magistrates then: “The risk to human health is a real one.”