A Stockport shop owner has claimed that more than 100 litres of alcohol discovered in the backroom was intended for staff consumption and not for illegal sale, after police acted on a tip-off from a child.
Background of the Licensing Application
SK First Stop Ltd applied for a booze licence for La Romica Magazin Romanesc on Avenue Street in Stockport. The application was discussed by councillors on June 10 following concerns raised by Greater Manchester Police and a town hall licensing officer over issues found both before and after the application was submitted.
Authorities flagged several problems, including reports from a child who claimed they had been asked to pick up alcohol from the shop, unauthorised antibiotics found on the premises, illicit cigarettes, and a lack of necessary steps taken ahead of the licence being granted.
Licensing Officer's Concerns
Stockport council licensing officer Ben Spencer said he had no confidence in the management of the shop and expressed 'clear concerns over previous and ongoing activities'.
In an appeal ahead of the meeting, shop boss Laurentiu Creanga said he fully understood the concerns raised, adding: “My intention has always been to operate a responsible, well-managed business that positively contributes to the local area while fully supporting the four licensing objectives. Since becoming aware of the concerns raised, I have taken active steps to ensure that I understand my responsibilities as a premises licence holder and that the premises will operate in a compliant and responsible manner. I have not ignored the feedback; instead, I have used it as an opportunity to improve and prepare the business properly.”
Mr Creanga told the committee he had not sold alcohol illegally and that he initially did not know about certain policies but has since done everything required. He said he and his partner Georgiana-Alice Stefan had now passed relevant tests, telling councillors: “I didn’t know exactly what I needed. Now I prepare everything and I am ready to sell alcohol if I have the licence.”
Police Evidence
PC Jamie Ellison, licensing officer for Greater Manchester Police, said he was contacted by Sergeant Ruth Pollard from the force’s Child Protection Unit over reports from a child suggesting the shop 'was selling Romanian wine and the information from the child indicated that the store has 25 litre boxes filled with wine'. The officer said this wine was decanted into bottles and sold, and that 'on occasion wine was given to children to take back to their parents to be paid for later'. Police enquiries to Stockport council revealed the shop had no licence.
In a June 2025 email published by the council, PC Ellison said they did not accept Mr Creanga’s insistence that the 'substantial amount of alcohol' found was not for sale and warned of 'serious penalties upon conviction' if a shop was found to be selling illegally.
At the June 10 meeting, the officer said: “100-plus litres of alcohol, of wine, kept in the stockroom of a store surrounded by empty bottles which were obviously consistent with the intelligence that we held about sales, I found it quite difficult to accept that was for staff consumption.” He said the alcohol found was 'a clear indicator of unlawful activity' or at least 'an indicator of a readiness to operate outside of relevant law', adding that the antibiotics found 'demonstrates a lack of safeguarding for customers' and 'puts people’s health at risk'.
PC Ellison also criticised comments Mr Creanga made to the Manchester Evening News ahead of the meeting, adding: “While operating a business for profit is to be expected, the combination of a clear financial motivation and a history of noncompliance gives us concern the applicant might prioritise profit over adherence to licensing law.”
Shop Owner's Response
In response to the opposition from police and licensing, Mr Creanga said: “Next time you come in my shop, they don’t find anything and then they come in my shop and they don’t find alcohol. They find only one medicine.” He said he did not understand the opposition to his application. He added: “We are not kids and we don’t do anything for the money like hurt people for the money to be honest. We work and now if they want to refuse, it’s their choice.”
Decision
Coun Dickie Davies said the panel would be rejecting the licensing application based on the evidence presented by the authorities. He said there appeared to be a distance between what they were being told and what was happening in practice.
