Zahid Iqbal told Liverpool Council he had “no idea” what was going on right under his nose
Shizy’s Off Licence found itself in hot water with Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council
The owner of a Picton Road shop had to sack his own brother after what Merseyside Police and Trading Standards discovered hidden in the till. Zahid Iqbal said he had no clue what was going on at his shop, Shizy’s, after it was revealed his own brother had been selling erectile disfunction pills to customers, without a consultation from a qualified pharmacist.
This included single tablets being hidden in the till at the Wavertree shop and his brother attempting to tell the authorities that a quantity of illegal goods hidden in a cashbox were his for personal use. Amid serious concerns around health and safety, members of the city council’s licensing and gambling committee have since stripped Shizy’s of its premises licence.
Mr Iqbal said time and again he had no idea what was going on at his business nor was he aware of the sale of illegal Viagra-type gels and tablets. In a bid to cling on to his licence, the business owner revealed he had even had to let his brother go from the shop.
Health officials have warned men facing erectile dysfunction may be putting their bodies at risk by opting for potentially dangerous tablets over the counter at their local shop. While some erectile dysfunction items are available without a GP prescription, this is at the discretion of a qualified pharmacist.
Boots sell a pack of two tablets for £11.99. In 2017, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said its decision to make the pills available easier would stop men seeking to buy from unregulated websites.
A large black market for the product containing sildenafil has emerged since it was made commercially available in 1998. Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council’s trading standards teams visited the Wavertree business twice in six months amid reports of counterfeit goods and class C drugs being sold.
PC Nicola Ireland said the force had “serious concerns about ongoing criminal activity” at the shop. She added how a quantity of “medical grade” tablets were also recovered during visits in September last year and April.
On both occasions, Mr Iqbal’s brother was seen running the shop and officers recovered a series of tablets in a cashbox in the store room at the back of the premises. He claimed these tablets were for personal use.
A cash box was found with male enhancement tablets in it at Shizy’s (Liverpool Council)
Claire Jones from Trading Standards said money sat in the box was likely from the sale of the goods. Officials also found a large quantity of blister packs of the tablets had been cut up to be sold individually tucked away in the till drawer.
When asked by the committee why these were hidden, Mr Iqbal said: “They weren’t hidden, they were in the till.” He told councillors how he was “not aware of what was going on in my premises” and tried to shift the blame.
He said: “My brother was selling them (tablets) without my knowledge and I let him go for that reason.” Mr Iqbal also claimed whenever he turned up for one of his three fixed shifts a week, the tablets as well as other illegal items including fake Labubu dolls and laughing gas canisters, were nowhere to be seen.
This didn’t wash with chair Cllr Christine Banks. She said: “I’m not accepting that, it’s your business, it’s your money.
“Anyone who’s got a business goes in every week to do a stock take.” Mr Iqbal said: “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened.
“I will succeed in making everything be back to where it should be.” PC Ireland said Merseyside Police took the view that Mr Iqbal’s protests were “too little, too late” and they have “no confidence” in his management.
More tablets cut up individually were hidden in the till drawer (Liverpool Council)
Earlier this month, Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool’s director of Public Health said he was “deeply concerned” by reports of fake and potentially harmful products being sold locally. He said: “These items are not only illegal; they pose serious risks to people’s health.
“Fake and unlicensed medicines may contain the wrong ingredients, incorrect doses, or dangerous contaminants, and are often sold without instructions, safeguards, or any clinical oversight. For example, legitimate treatments like Viagra are only safe when supplied through regulated routes, with appropriate checks; anything sold outside of this system should be treated with extreme caution.
“Similarly, cosmetic procedures carried out outside of regulated clinical settings can result in life‑changing complications, infection, or permanent injury. While we understand that people may be drawn to these products because they appear cheaper or more accessible, the risks far outweigh any perceived benefit.”
Cllr Banks said the licence would be stripped for the “health and safety of the public.” Liverpool residents can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, which handles calls on behalf of Liverpool Trading Standards. The helpline is available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm and provides advice and support on consumer issues: https://liverpool.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/report-a-trading-standards-issue/