A west Leeds shopkeeper has denied claims he repeatedly sold alcohol and cigarettes to children.
West Yorkshire Police alleged Syed Jabbar Ahmed, who runs Pudsey Local, opposite Pudsey Bus Station, was “causing harm” to the area and had sold prohibited items to kids as young as 14. At a licensing hearing on Tuesday, Mr Ahmed dismissed the allegations as “false” and claimed they were motivated by racism and jealousy.
West Yorkshire Trading Standards told the hearing they had 16 recorded complaints from the public about underage sales at the shop across an 18 month stretch. Police claimed 34 -year-old Mr Ahmed used the term ‘Bossman’ as a code name for teenagers wanting to purchase cigarettes and booze, although the authorities acknowledged he’d passed three separate test purchases.
