Reading Shopkeeper Fined for Selling Dangerous Vodka

Balbir Singh Thaman – who owns the Corner Store on 228 Gosbrook Road – was taken to court by Reading Borough Council Trading Standards officers who discovered suspicious bottles of alcohol in his shop during a visit in February last year.

When samples were confiscated and sent for analysis, one sample of a product called Drop Vodka, and a counterfeit bottle of branded Vodka, were found to contain significant levels of Propan–2-ol – an industrial solvent which if consumed is known to be dangerous to health.

When interviewed by Trading Standards officers, the shopkeeper admitted that he had purchased the vodka from a ‘white-van-man’ type salesman, but he was unable to positively identify the seller. In addition Mr Thaman could not provide officers with any invoice or other written record of the purchase.

Appearing at Reading Magistrates Court on Friday May 31st, Mr Thaman pleaded guilty to charges under The General Food Regulations 2004 that he had failed to put in place a traceability system that would enable a specific supplier to be identified to Trading Standards officers.

He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,075. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £200. The court also granted a forfeiture order which will allow Trading Standards Officers to destroy the vodka removed from the shop.