Watered-Down Alcohol Leads to Fine

A company director has been fined more than £700 after watered down alcohol was found in the pub which she operated.

Louise Carr, owner of Loubaz Ltd, which currently holds the tenancy for and manages The Mechanics Arms in East Street, South Shields, pleaded guilty to four counts of alcohol adulteration.

The pub was subject to a routine food inspection prompted by an anonymous complaint of watering down of spirits to the Council's Environmental Health Commercial Food and Safety Team.

Dip test samples were carried out on branded spirit bottles and four were seized and sent for analysis. They were all found to contain significantly reduced alcohol volume concentrations than that specified by the manufacturer.

Carr was fined £733 and ordered to pay £500 costs and a £73 victim surcharge at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court. She was also barred from holding the position of Company Director for 5 years and was disqualified as a licensee for six months.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "The bottles, which were branded Bacardi, had a reduced alcohol content, suggesting it had been diluted, and a number of the other spirits had been substituted with inferior branded products.

"This is not only misleading and a breach of trust, it is also a potential safety issue for customers, who rely on product signage to inform them of ingredients and potential allergens."