A corner shop in Kingswood has been banned from selling booze after police alleged that staff sold cannabis to children. Customers could reportedly ask for a “cheese sandwich” as a codeword for buying cannabis from the off licence.
Fosters on 168 New Cheltenham Road has been stripped of its premises licence, meaning the shop, also known as Malt Off Licence, can no longer sell alcohol. Avon and Somerset Police searched the shop and the flat above in March and found 1.4 kilograms of cannabis.
Michael Hutton, who owns the shop and is the designated premises supervisor, said he was arrested and “locked in the back of a van”, and was unaware of what the police found in his shop and flat. He added he “never had any real problems” in 16 years of running the shop.
