Dear Cllr Stephanos Ioannou,
Trading Standards have reasonable grounds to believe Nitrous Oxide is continuing to be stored and sold from Maxi Food & Wine-38 Chase Side London N14 5PA and associated motor-vehicles parked in close proximity.
It is a criminal offence to sell nitrous oxide to customers of any age where the retailer knows or is reckless about whether it is likely to be consumed for its psychoactive effects.
Trading Standards, are undertaking the following actions:
Liaising with partner agencies to tackle the supply and/or misuse of Nitrous Oxide within the Borough.
Investigating the sale of nitrous oxide from Maxi food & Wine-38 Chase Side, and gathering information, intelligence and evidence including a test purchase exercise.
The business is aware of Trading Standards actions and concerns and that they are monitoring the situation and continuing to gather evidence. Trading Standards have sought undertakings from the business to cease the storage/supply of Nitrous Oxide cannisters/cartridges and advised regarding the impact of anti-social behaviour as a result of the misuse of nitrous oxide.
Trading Standards have also made them aware of Central Government?s anti-social behaviour action plan and legislative proposals to ban Nitrous Oxide by the end of the year and make it’s use controlled so that users are at risk of police intervention, if found in possession.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan
Any proposed legal proceedings by the council are unlikely to conclude before the end of the year, therefore the business has been actively encouraged to take the necessary steps to return stocks before the proposed ban.
The environmental and economic impacts of continuing to seize products have been evaluated and assessed to be cost prohibitive.
As a result of a very recent test purchase exercise arranged by Trading Standards, during which Nos was sold by this and a neighbouring premises, the Licensing Authority or the Police shall soon be submitting Premises Licence Review Applications in relation to both premises. Once the reviews have been written and submitted a 28 day consultation process shall begin. A blue notice shall be displayed at each premises notifying the public of the pending review hearings. Ward Councillors shall also be consulted. The premises are not aware of this action yet.
