A store in Tipton could lose its licence after allegations emerged that an employee stole a winning lottery ticket from a customer.
Best One, located in Great Bridge, has been under investigation by West Midlands Police following the incident.
According to the force, a customer was given £30 in winnings but subsequently discovered the actual prize amount should have been “substantially higher”.
When the individual returned to the premises seeking the correct payout, staff refused to honour the claim because the customer no longer had the ticket.
The cashier had retained the ticket during the initial transaction.
Video evidence that could have aided the investigation has been lost. CCTV recordings, which should have been preserved for a minimum of 31 days, were overwritten, with West Midlands Police confirming this had “hampered” their probe into the missing ticket.
The Best One in Tipton could lose its licence following the accusation
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The designated supervisor, Vincent Shanmugarajah Thamilnesan, provided contradictory accounts during the inquiry.
He initially informed officers he was not the owner and lacked access to the security footage, only to reverse this position a week later.
By the time investigators requested to view the recordings, Mr Thamilnesan stated the footage had already been overwritten the previous week.
A National Lottery winner should have been given ‘substantially more’ according to a police investigation
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Council licensing enforcement officers who inspected the premises identified further compliance failures.
The shop’s licence was not on display and staff training documentation was unavailable when requested by officials.
A licensing enforcement officer from Sandwell Council expressed “serious concerns” about the establishment and recommended that councillors give careful thought to stripping the business of its licence.
The matter will be considered by Sandwell Council’s licensing committee when it convenes on Tuesday to determine the shop’s future.
