Islington Council has banned an off-licence from selling alcohol after a tip-off about counterfeit cigarettes led to the discovery of a suspected cannabis grow-room.
By Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter
Islington Council has banned an off-licence from selling alcohol after a tip-off about counterfeit cigarettes led to the discovery of a suspected cannabis grow-room.
In March, Town Hall officers carried out a sniffer dog inspection at Cally Local on Caledonian Road, seizing hundreds of cigarettes and a haul of tobacco pouches, while also allegedly uncovering bags of weed in the basement.
Residents first alerted the local authority last year, alleging that the corner shop was selling illicit tobacco products, with “single cigarettes being sold to minors”.
Cannabis was also being sold in the evenings from a car parked outside the shop, they claimed.
This prompted an initial inspection by Trading Standards teams, who found “foreign-labelled and probably illegally-imported alcohol” but “no illegal tobacco”.
But during a second, “more thorough” visit to the off-licence in March, five officers – accompanied by a Wagtail dog – discovered multiple tobacco products in foreign or “non-compliant” labelling.
An officer then allegedly noticed three herb grinders on the counter, containing residue and a “small quantity of cannabis inside”, according to a council licensing report.
Probing the shop’s storerooms, the sniffer dog’s handler found two black bags containing self-seal bags of a “green herbal substance” in boxes of alcohol, with further quantities of alleged cannabis in the oven and the microwave downstairs.
Officers also found scores of “specialised” lamps, five fans, heaters, cabling and light bulbs in the basement, leading them to believe the space was to be used to grow cannabis. They also reported finding, but not confiscating, a box of Viagra tablets.
Cally Local was later shut on June 11 following the Met’s issuing a closure order.. A report from the Metropolitan Police noted that the cannabis was “a mix of powder and buds packaged in snap-bags,” suggesting it was being prepared for supply.
The Met said they had no confidence the manager “acting responsibly” and asked the council to revoke his licence.
Joining the calls, Islington’s community safety team pointed to a spike in “drug-related antisocial behaviour” in the area over the past year, with “open drug use” having made some residents feel unsafe.
On Monday (June 30), Islington’s Licensing Committee revoked the owner’s licence.
