A LICENSING committee councillor had a permit to sell duty-suspended alcohol revoked after two lorries, supposed to be carrying thousands of crates of booze to be sold outside the UK, were found to be travelling empty.

Cllr Sohail Munawar, trading as the sole director and shareholder of Aspen Wholesale, had the license revoked in July 2007.

This was after inspectors intercepted the empty lorries, supposedly transporting duty-suspended alcohol, for which Aspen Wholesale had provided a movement guarantee.

Cllr Munawar, who became a councillor in May last year, was deemed liable for the �30,518 bill for duty costs.

Speaking to The Observer he said: "It was a corporate matter, dealt in a corporate manner and that is the end of it. I've done nothing wrong and I wasn't guilty of it.

"I didn't know the goods were being fraudulently diverted."

The first load of 1,960 cases of beer was found to be missing after an inspection on June 20, 2007. The second empty lorry was discovered on June 25. It was supposed to be carrying 2,060 cases of alcohol.

The drivers, who were stopped at the Channel Tunnel entrance admitted travelling to other UK locations to switch trailers.

Cllr Munawar had notified officials, as procedure, about the movements before they were despatched.

He appealed four decisions - to impose conditions on his license, revoked his duty-suspended goods registration, lapse a financial security movement guarantee of �30,000 and a commissioner's assessment to pay excise duty totalling �30,518 - on June 26, 2008.

The tribunal was heard on January 11-12, last year.

Cllr Munawar argued it was unrealistic to require a small trader to carry out credit and criminal record checks. He also said innocent links in a chain should not be made answerable if one link is suspect.

The appeal was dismissed.

Opposition councillor Diana Coad said: "Yet again there is a lack of transparency from an elected member who had the audacity to sit on licensing when he himself has abused his own license.

"He should resign and stand down from licensing - it is outrageous."

Cllr Munawar was also granted a personal licence to sell alcohol by Slough Borough Council in 2006.

Council leader Rob Anderson added: "This took place four years before Cllr Munawar was elected to Slough Borough Council. It has been dealt with and is a personal matter. I am satisfied with his performance as a councillor."