A Stevenage off-licence is under new management after its premises licence was put under threat.

Police in Hertfordshire had “called in” The Oval Wine’s licence to sell alcohol after the licensee, Emrah Demirci, was convicted of rape in January 2023.

But the licensing dispute has been thrown out after a new owner took on the shop and licence earlier in May.

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “As the licence was transferred to the new owner of the business before the hearing, it negated the revocation.

“The shop is under new management and ownership, and Mr Demirci is not involved in that business.”

Demirci, the previous licensee, raped an 18-year-old woman at a Stevenage hotel in 2019.

The Comet: Demirci, the previous licensee, was jailed for four yearsDemirci, the previous licensee, was jailed for four years (Image: Herts police)

The 43-year-old, of Windmill Lane, Cheshunt, was sentenced to four years in prison in April.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team also confirmed it had concerns over Demirci’s licence, after officers seized a stash of illegal vapes and illicit tobacco from the shop.

Stevenage Borough Council was due to debate whether Demirci was able to promote the four licensing objectives – including “the prevention of crime and disorder” and “public safety” – on Wednesday, April 19 this year, but the hearing was cancelled at the police’s request.

The process of transferring the premises licence to the new owner was completed on Tuesday, May 2.