Middlesbrough pub owner fined £2,000 after vodka bottles were found half filled with water

A Middlesbrough pub has been fined after it was caught watering down its vodka.

The Zetland Hotel, in Zetland Road, had been adding water to bottles of Chekov Vodka.

Enviromental health officers from Middlesbrough Council took samples of the drink on display and tests showed that eight bottles of Chekov Vodka were half filled with water resulting in 40-50% reduction in the amount of alcohol.

The tests were carried out following a complaint from a member of the public.

Tests also showed that a bottle of Jagermeister had been substituted with Messer Schmitt - a cheaper alternative. Jagermeister has an alcohol strength of 35% while Messer Schmitt is 22% .

Appearing before Teesside Magistrates yesterday, pub owner Edmund Smyth admitted selling alcoholic drinks that were not of the substance demanded contrary to Section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990 and falsely describing the drinks contrary to Section 15 of the Act.

Pub manager Dawn Chapman was also charged with the same offences.

The case against co-owner Maureen Smyth has been adjourned.

Edmund Smyth was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,424 towards the council’s costs plus a £20 victim surcharge.

Dawn Chapman was fined £400 and was [ordered to pay £100 towards the council’s costs plus a £20 victim surcharge. Her personal licence was also revoked by the Court.

Middlesbrough Council’s environmental health and trading standards manager Judith Hedgley said: “The only reason for selling watered down alcoholic drinks and substituting branded products is to make more money out of unsuspecting customers.

“In this case a member of the public brought their concerns about the premises to our attention and we carried out checks to see if customers were getting what they thought they were buying.

“Our findings highlighted a clear breach of food and consumer protection laws and the penalties imposed reflect this.”

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for adult social care and public health, said: “Consumers must be given food and drink that is genuine and safe.

“All food businesses have a responsibility to ensure the food and drink they serve complies with food laws and that consumers are treated fairly and are not misled about the true nature of the food and drink they buy.

“The Council’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers are keen to work with businesses to identify and stamp out illegal and unfair trading practices.

“If any business is found to be acting unfairly or irresponsibly and committing offences under food and consumer protection laws then appropriate enforcement action will be taken.”