A shop which was caught selling counterfeit alcohol could have its licence taken away next week after it was said to have posed a "serious risk" to customers.

The owner of Pat’s Mini Market, in Winns Avenue, Walthamstow, will face the council’s licensing committee next Monday after a sting operation uncovered hundreds of bottles of fake spirits on its shelves.

The shop, which is owned by Selvaninayagam Varatharajan, was visited by the Trading Standards team on February 26 of this year.

Around 164 bottles of wine, 15 bottles of whisky and six bottles of vodka were seized from the property.

It was later confirmed that 14.7 litres of spirits had been stamped with counterfeit customs labels and 123 bottles of wine were suspected of having no duty paid on them.

No invoice could be found for the alcohol and officers were told they had been purchased from a ‘white van man’.

The designated premises supervisor, Sellathuram Murugathas, was not in the shop at the time.

Susan Ferguson, licensing enforcement officer at Waltham Forest council said the shop put the public’s health at risk.

She said: “The safety of the public has been compromised as counterfeit alcohol products are often produced using cheaper types of alcohol, including chemicals used in cleaning fluids, nail polish remover and screen wash.

“Whilst in this there is no evidence to suggest wine products contained any harmful material, it is highly unlikely the licence holder was aware of the contents.”

The off-licence is licensed to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm, Monday to Saturday and 10am until 10.30 pm on Sundays.

The licensing committee will consider the case during a hearing at the town hall from 1pm.