Retailer fined after fake wine found at three of his shops

THE owner of three off-licences in the borough has been given substantial fines for selling fake wine.

Karamjit Singh Aujla, who runs Aujla Cash and Carry in Yeading Lane, must pay more than £10,000 for six trading standards offences.

Trading standards officers discovered 195 bottles of counterfeit bottles of Jacob’s Creek and Blossom Hill wine at the three shops – Aujla Cash and Carry and Costcutter, both in Yeading Lane, Hayes, and Aujla Food and Wine, in Field End Road, South Ruislip – during raids in June 2011.

The stores’ licences were revoked by Hillingdon Council in January last year, which then pursued criminal prosecutions against the owner.

Mr Aujla admitted to six counts of offering counterfeit wines for sale when he appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 7,

He was fined £6,000, and is liable for £4,760 in costs to the council.

Councillor Jonathan Bianco, cabinet member for business services, said: “The most serious issue here is that it could potentially have proved harmful to someone’s health.

“I hope this acts as a warning to other traders to be careful about the products they stock, knowingly or otherwise.”