A CONVENIENCE store in Winton could lose its premises licence after failing to help the victim of a ‘serious assault’.

A worker at Bargain Convenience Store told the victim to “get out” after the ‘incident of violence’ in the premises.

Staff didn’t react to the assault “in a way that was appropriate” and “failed to meet the safeguarding needs of the victim”, according to Dorset Police.

Bargain Convenience Store was also caught selling alcohol to minors during two separate police-led test purchases.

Dorset Police have requested a licence review for the store on Wimborne Road.

It will be the second time police have intervened with Bargain Convenience Store; last year officers requested the shop have its licence removed after it was caught selling smuggled tobacco which had not been subject to UK duty.

The shop lost its licence, but later appealed the decision and the licence remained subject to extra conditions.

BCP Council’s licensing sub-committee met on Wednesday, January 17, to discuss the latest request for a licence review by Dorset Police.

Addressing the serious assault, Louise Busfield, licencing officer at Dorset Police, said: “It must be stressed that [the incident] wasn’t the fault of the premises - it could have occurred anywhere.

“The concern is that the staff didn’t react to the incident in a way that was appropriate, instead telling the victim of the assault to get out of the premises, whereas the expectation would have been for first aid to be administered or at least a 999 call to be made.”

Philip Day, acting on behalf of the premises licence holder, said the assault happened “completely and utterly out of the blue”, and the shop assistant had “absolutely no opportunity to get involved”.

He added that staff had “fully co-operated” with the police investigation into the incident, and it was the shop’s CCTV that helped officers to apprehend the suspect.

Addressing the sale of alcohol to minors, Mr Day added: “The shop assistant concerned did not tell my client [the premises licence holder] who was away at the time - he didn’t find out about it for a couple of weeks.

“When he did find out, he took immediate action to dispense the employment of the individual concerned.”

BCP Council licensing officer Tania Jardim said that through the consultation period of the review application, mediation had taken place between Dorset Police and Mr Day.

She said: “Mr Day explained that the revocation of the licence as suggested by Dorset Police would be a disproportionate outcome and proposed that a more suitable outcome would be to add a condition that all staff working in the premises undergo conflict management training, the licence be suspended for a period of one month and that at least one person who holds a personal licence be on duty in the premises whenever alcohol is being offered for sale.”

Ms Busfield said: “Dorset Police are confident with these proposals, as long as they’re implemented.

“This is really Dorset Police’s final attempt to achieve compliance.”

A decision on the premises licence review is expected next week.