Traders pay the price for illegal alcohol sales

5.03.54pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 21st Apr 2008

• WE will catch you - that is the message sent by Richmond Council to shop owners selling alcohol to children.

Another trader was prosecuted last week as part of the Council's crackdown on the sale of alcohol to under-18s. AB&S Ltd, trading as Budgens, pleaded guilty at Richmond Magistrates' Court to selling four cans of cider to a 16 year old at their store in the High Street, Hampton Hill. The sale took place last July. AB&S Ltd was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £692 costs. The youngster was one of a group of volunteers making test purchases as part of an ongoing covert operation by Richmond Trading Standards.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said: "We are determined to stamp out the sale of alcohol to children. While the overwhelming majority of traders keep to the law, those who don't are risking the health of young people and also fuel anti-social behaviour. We are determined to tackle this problem at its source and we will continue targeting local traders through our programme of test purchases. I urge traders and their staff to be vigilant and always ask for identification from anyone they suspect to be under age."