Prosecuted for Selling Alcohol to Children
Darshan Singh, last week, pleaded guilty to selling alcohol to a fifteen year old volunteer who was carrying out an undercover test purchase on behalf of Warwickshire Trading Standards Service and Warwickshire Police.
Mr Singh, former licensee of Caldwell Stores, Bradstone Road, Nuneaton, was prosecuted at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on Monday 14th September 2009 under the Licensing Act 2003 where he was fined £175, ordered to pay costs of £670 and a victim surcharge of £15.
The prosecution came following an undercover test purchase exercise by Warwickshire Trading Standards Service. The aim of the exercise was to ensure that alcohol was being sold lawfully and that appropriate checks were being carried out to prohibit the sale of alcohol to those aged under eighteen.
The teenage boy was able to buy two cans of “John Smiths Beer” at the store without any attempt being made by the staff to question the age of the boy or ask for appropriate identification.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said “Laws relating to the sale of alcohol are designed to protect the health & well being of young people and reduce anti social behaviour in our communities.
Our Trading Standards Service along with the police regularly provide off licences and stores with information and advice to ensure that licensees and their staff are trained and understand the requirements and implications of the law relating to identifying the age of customers.”
Any information about underage sales can be passed anonymously to Trading Standards through Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.