A publican has had his licence revoked by Dundee City Council licensing board after admitting selling fake gin to his customers.
Dale Handy, manager of the Park Bar in Albert Street, had told trading standards officers who visited the premises that he knew the Gordon’s Gin bottle they tested did not contain the genuine spirit.
A trading standards officer told the board members he had received a complaint and visited the premises to test spirit bottles.
He said the test showed that the liquid inside the gin bottle was not Gordon’s, despite it being labelled so.
When he pointed it out to Mr Handy, he said, the publican said it was a colleague who had poured the other gin into the bottle, but admitted he knew about it.
Neither Mr Handy nor the pub owners, Rosemount Taverns, attended the hearing and board convener David Bowes moved that the issue of both the personal licence and the premises licence be deferred to the June meeting of the board.
He said he wanted more information to be brought before them and to allow them both to appear personally.
Councillor Georgia Cruickshank said Mr Handy’s failure to appear showed a “blatant disregard for the licensing board” and moved that members suspend his licence immediately.
Councillor Stewart Hunter said he agreed the matter should be dealt with immediately but said from what he had heard it was a very serious breach and Mr Handy’s licence should be revoked.
Council licensing officer Brian Woodcock said he was very surprised that an agent for Rosemount Taverns had not appeared and said that pointed to there being some confusion over the hearing, but said the licences could be dealt with separately.
The board agreed unanimously to revoke Mr Handy’s personal licence and to defer a decision on the premises licence until June.