Skipton shop loses licence after worker sold alcohol to child

North Yorkshire Council cancelled the licence for Lewiatian, in Sackville Street, Skipton, following a day-long hearing.

The council’s three-councillor statutory licensing sub-committee met on Friday at the Civic Centre, in Harrogate, to review the store’s premises licence.

Members of the panel heard how the shop was being investigated for a number of alleged offences by North Yorkshire Police’s licensing team and the council’s trading standards department.

The committee was also told there was a coroner’s inquest due to take place following a death connected with the premises, although no further details were revealed.

The owner of the shop, Saheb Sadeqhi, did not attend the hearing due to illness, but was represented by his solicitor.

The press and public were excluded from the majority of the hearing due to evidence being presented on ongoing investigations.

The hearing took place just two days after a worker from the store appeared before Skipton Magistrates’ Court.

The staff member, Milad Karimi, 26, of North Street, Keighley, was fined £200 after he pleaded guilty to knowingly selling alcohol to someone who was drunk and selling alcohol to someone who is under 18.

Both offences took place in July 2025.

In 2024, the store was prosecuted for selling illegal vapes, while in 2022 it was fined for selling fake tobacco and falsely labelled vodka.

North Yorkshire Council declined to comment on the case due to the ongoing investigations.

The members of the panel were councillors Tim Grogan, Kevin Foster and Andrew Lee.

After the hearing, Mr Sadeqhi told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he planned to appeal the decision.