Shop that sold alcohol to teenagers under review

A ROYSTON shop which sold alcohol to a 16-year-old is to have its licence reviewed. The owners of Icknield Stores, in Icknield Walk, Royston will go before North Herts District Council s licensing and appeals committee after a request from Herts Police. A

A ROYSTON shop which sold alcohol to a 16-year-old is to have its licence reviewed.

The owners of Icknield Stores, in Icknield Walk, Royston will go before North Herts District Council's licensing and appeals committee after a request from Herts Police.

A report submitted to the committee by police states that the force first received reports about the shop selling alcohol to underage youths in May 2008.

In April 2009, PCSO Allan Kelly spotted a 17-year old boy leaving the shop concealing a bottle of cider under his jacket. This led to the owner of the shop, Gurmukh Singh, receiving a final written warning.

However, after further reports of teenagers purchasing alcoholic drinks, an undercover joint operation by police and trading standards in August 2009 led to a 16-year-old girl being sold a �2.89 bottle of Cherry Lambrini.

In their report, the police said: "There is clear evidence that minors can easily purchase alcohol [from the shop] and therefore in all probability consume it.

"The desired outcome here is the implementation of measures that will ensure the staff robustly challenge potential under-age and proxy purchasers, and refuse to sell alcohol in such cases."

The police have submitted a list of conditions which they suggest should be included in the shop's licence. These include the introduction of a "challenge 25" policy, which would see staff checking the age of anyone they believe to be under 25, and the introduction of a "refusals book" recording any time that service is denied to an under-age person.

The committee will consider the licence at its meeting on November 23.