Brighton Vape Shop Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Paraphernalia at Drinks Licence Hearing
V&M Store at 62 North Street Brighton applied for an alcohol licence on 21 May 2026. A decision from the licensing panel is expected shortly.
A vape shop on North Street in Brighton came under fire at a licensing hearing on Thursday 21 May after a council official found bongs on display in the shop window during a visit two weeks earlier.
V&M Store, at 62 North Street, Brighton, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol from 10am to 10pm daily. The shop occupies the former Flower Burger premises in the heart of the city centre.
What Happened at the Hearing
Brighton and Hove City Council licensing official Donna Lynsdale told the three-councillor panel that she had visited the shop around two weeks before the hearing and observed bongs on display in the window. She described the items as drug paraphernalia and said they did not reflect well on a business seeking an alcohol licence.
PC Andre Bernascone of Sussex Police shared those concerns and added that having such items on display and for sale at a business applying for a drinks licence raised serious questions about the suitability of the application.
By the time of the hearing on 21 May, the panel was told the items had been removed. The shop's representatives said the bongs had only been on sale for less than 30 days and had been stocked in response to customer requests.
Crime Concerns
PC Bernascone presented crime data showing that 1,185 offences had been recorded within a few hundred yards of the shop in the past year. Those offences included 516 thefts, 270 incidents of violence, 158 public order offences, 56 drug offences and 19 sexual offences.
He argued that alcohol bought at the premises could be consumed on Brighton Beach or in the surrounding streets, adding to existing problems in the area. He told the panel there are already a high number of licensed premises in the area and that the applicant had not demonstrated exceptional circumstances as required under council licensing policy.
The Applicant's Response
Oisin Daly of Absolutely Licensing Solutions, representing shop owner Mr Singh, told the panel the business had installed specialist software to carry out checks beyond the standard requirements, including consideration of whether a customer appeared intoxicated or was a known street drinker.
Decision Awaited
The three-councillor panel, made up of Councillors Ivan Lyons, David McGregor and Sam Parrott, heard submissions from both sides at the hearing. A decision on the licence application is expected to follow in the coming days.
ImJustBrighton will report the outcome when the decision is announced.
