Hastings supermarkets liquor licence to be suspended

A Hastings supermarket will not be able to sell alcohol for five days after being caught selling to an underage purchaser earlier this year.

 

The Liquor Licensing Authority has suspended the off-licence of the Hastings Countdown store from 7.00 am on Monday 5 January 2009 until 7.00 am on Saturday 10 January 2009.

 

This suspension is the result of a combined operation by Police, Hastings District Council, and Hawkes Bay District Health Board in July 2008 when ten premises were visited.

 

Hastings District Council’s Community Safety Manager Malcom Hart said “the penalty imposed is significant because this was the second failure by the supermarket within nine months. The first occasion was in December 2007 after which the off-licence was suspended for twenty four hours.”

 

The manager on duty at the time of the latest sale has had his General Manager’s Certificate suspended for two weeks.