TWO shops in Bournemouth could lose their licences next week after being caught selling smuggled cigarettes.

Polski Sklep in Lansdowne Road and D&A MiniMarket in Christchurch Road will both face review hearings on Tuesday (January 28) prompted by the result of police raids last year.

Between the two, more than 20,000 cigarettes, 5kg of rolling tobacco and 1l of alcohol were found across visits in June and November.

Following the county-wide joint operation, carried out alongside HM Revenue and Customs and trading standards officials, Dorset Police has requested BCP Council give “particular consideration” to revoking their licences.

The reviews will be considered by a licensing sub-committee on Tuesday.

“There can be no excuse for licensees promoting crime within their premises,” both licence review applications say.

“…It should be emphasised that Dorset Police and other partner agencies are working tirelessly to tackle this type of criminality that is becoming a national concern.

“It is the view of Dorset Police that this type of activity should not be condoned and further similar operations are planned for the future throughout Bournemouth and Poole to tackle this criminality.”

Polski Sklep was visited on November 14 with “1,520 smuggled cigarettes and 1l of smuggled alcohol” found being offered for sale.

They also found the store was in breach of four conditions on its licence, including selling alcohol above 5.5 per cent and not having a working CCTV system.

Shop owner Saman Adil had been due to sell the business a week later.

In an email, his solicitor Ayeh Nowroozi said he had been under “tremendous stress” with Brexit uncertainty causing his sales to drop 60 per cent.

But the request to revoke the licence has been supported by the owner of nearby Grooms Newsagents, Gopalasingham Rajithkumar, who said actions of other businesses had affected his genuine sales.

D&A MiniMarket in Christchurch Road was found to be selling smuggled cigarettes and tobacco on two separate visits in June and November last year.

Across the two, 19,920 “smuggled cigarettes” and 5.63kg of “smuggled rolling tobacco” were found.

“Smuggled tobacco presents a significant risk to the community,” the police licence review request says.

“In addition to the correct duties not being paid to central government on these products, there is known to be significant damage to local legitimate businesses.”

Both reviews will be considered by councillors on Tuesday.