Underage drink sting — 57 shops sold booze to children

SHOPS in Carmarthenshire face losing their liquor licences after almost 60 were caught peddling booze to underage drinkers.

Trading standards officers carried out undercover operations at 92 businesses — ranging from large supermarkets to small corner shops — in a major blitz across the county and found 57 of them sold booze to children aged 14 and 15.

Now officers are taking steps to revoke and suspend the licences of the most serious offenders — to show the practice is unacceptable and won't be tolerated.

Council trading standards manager Roger Edmunds said: "Out of 194 attempts made, 100 sales resulted. Many outlets sold on more than one occasion and over a short period of time.

"With more than half of the attempts by young people to buy alcohol succeeding, it is an extremely disappointing set of results.

"We are referring the more serious cases for review. We are recommending that the council's licensing sub-committee should revoke six off-licences and suspend seven for up to three months.

"In other cases we are recommending additional conditions to be imposed on the licensees."

The council's licensing sub-committee will meet before Christmas to make a decision.

The major test-purchasing exercise, carried out over the summer, was the largest of its kind in Carmarthenshire.

It involved young volunteers accompanied by officers from the council's public protection department.

Executive board member for public protection Hugh Evans said: "Trading standards gives this issue a very high priority. Illegal sales of alcohol to youngsters are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."