Shop may lose licence over missing lottery ticket

A shop may have its licence removed after a staff member was accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket.

Best One in Great Bridge, Tipton, was investigated by West Midlands Police, which said someone was handed £30 in winnings only to realise later the prize should have been "substantially higher".

After returning to the shop to claim the correct amount, they were refused for not possessing the ticket, which the cashier kept when the original claim was made.

CCTV footage that should have been kept for at least a month was recorded over and during an investigation the licence holder said he was not the owner, before stating he was.

A licensing enforcement officer at the authority said they had "serious concerns" about the shop and urged councillors to give serious consideration to revoking the licence.

West Midlands Police stated the missing video had "hampered" its probe into the missing ticket.

During an investigation, designated supervisor Vincent Shanmugarajah Thamilnesan told officers he was not the owner and could not access CCTV, only to change his story a week later.

After asking to look at footage, he said it had been recorded over a week earlier.

The shop was also inspected by the council's licensing enforcement officers.

Thamilnesan had not displayed the licence in the store and was not available – alongside staff training documents – for inspection when requested by officers.

Sandwell Council's licensing committee will meet on 30 June to discuss the matter.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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