Photograph by Arne Hückelheim
A nightclub owner in Essex has been caught selling industrial alcohol, commonly used in anti-freeze, as Smirnoff vodka after a tip-off by a member of the public.
Trading Standards seized hundreds of Smirnoff-branded bottles of vodka in a raid on the Candy Club in Chelmsford, Essex. Whilst these bottles appeared genuine at first-glance, analysis of the contents showed that the “vodka” was actually industrial alcohol. They found 96 full, six partly-drunk and 134 empty bottles.
There have been no reported cases of people falling ill from drinking the alcohol, but Essex County Council said that the nightclub had potentially put the public at risk by selling alcohol which was not designed for human consumption.
The nightclub owner claims that he bought the shipment of alcohol from a van which called at the back door of the pub one afternoon. He admitted to three counts of breaching food, spirit and consumer protection regulations and was sentenced to 250 hours community service and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60.