January 7, 2020 9.40 am This story is over 50 months old

Boston shop licence reviewed over criminality fears

Police said crime and disorder and public safety would be undermined
Police are calling for the licence of European Food to be reviewed.

Lincolnshire Police has called for a European supermarket’s licence to be reviewed after just four months following concerns over the husband of the licence holder.

The force has asked Boston Borough Council to “seriously consider” revoking Nawal Ahmed’s licence for European Food, on Wide Bargate, due to concerns about crime, disorder and public safety.

They said her husband, Omid Hatemi previously worked illegally while in the country and had links to another illegal worker found working in the premises in May 2019 when it was under another ownership.

They said Mr Hatemi has “not been truthful with Lincolnshire Police” in regards to his application and his involvement with previous owners under which they said criminality had been encountered.

Officers also said “his history shows he has a disregard for the law” and alleged that he has continued to work illegally.

The pair are listed as directors of Boston Food and Wine at the Wide Bargate address on Companies House.

Mrs Ahmed’s licence was granted in September 2019, however, an application to vary it to include Mr Hatemi was rejected in December due to Lincolnshire Police’s concerns.

Mr Hatemi was found to be working illegally at a store on West Street in September 2016 during a raid which also found 400 foreign labelled Winston cigarettes and 236 50g packs of Soex Herbal Shisha concealed behind the counter.

During the previous hearing, police accused both applicants of failing to be “open and honest” and attempting to distance themselves from the previous owners – one of which they said was a friend who had helped Mrs Ahmed when she moved to Boston.

Documents before the committee outlined how the couple had paid half the amount owed for the business, with the other half being paid “later on”.

Police have confirmed with the Home Office that Mr Hatemi has a 30 month leave to remain in the UK granted on September 17, 2019.

This means he now has the right to work and hold a business in the country.

A representative of the pair told previous committee members that they intended to run the shop as a family business.

They told councillors that licence conditions were being complied with and that Mrs Ahmed had passed the relevant courses.

They said when Mr Hatemi was found to be working illegally, he had been carrying out a favour for a friend and had no knowledge of the illegal cigarettes.

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