Business information

Baldock Trader fined for under-age sales of alcohol

The licensee of the Budget Food Store (Londis) in London Road, Baldock, has been fined £400 and ordered to pay costs of £170 for selling alcohol to an underage customer.

Mr Nadarajah Manran, who is the Designated Premises Supervisor for the store, pleaded Guilty to the offence at Stevenage Magistrates Court on March 15. The court heard that he sold alcohol to a 15 year old test purchaser on May 11 2006

Hertfordshire Trading Standards brought the prosecution following a test purchasing campaign carried out with the help of the police and underage volunteers in May and June last year. The operation targeted premises where problems involving young people buying alcohol had been reported. It was carried out as part of the Home Office Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign and came six months after the introduction of the new Licensing Act.

"Given the widespread publicity around this issue, there can be no excuse for licensees selling alcohol to underage customers," said Executive Member for Community Safety and Culture, Keith Emsall. "So, once again, we must warn retailers that our officers will continue to target shops and off-licences again in the near future and we will continue to take a hard line against those who break the law.

"Using underage volunteers in this way has proved extremely effective in bringing to book those traders who are selling alcohol illegally. Alcohol abuse among youngsters is a serious problem which we are striving to reduce, not least by trying to make retailers aware of their legal responsibilities."

The police and Trading Standards are also warning that repeat and persistent offenders may have their licenses reviewed and possibly revoked using new powers under the Licensing Act.

** Trading Standards also succeeded in prosecuting the seller in this case, Ganesalingiam Velventhan, who was fined £80 plus £50 costs at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on January 3, 2007. The case against Mr Manran - as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) - was originally set for the same date but was postponed until March 15.

Members of the public who wish to report incidences of traders selling alcohol to under age people can do so in confidence via Consumer Direct. Call 08454 04 05 06 between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 1pm Saturday (excluding bank and public holidays) or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk Calls are charged at no more than four pence per minute from a BT landline. Call charges from other landline providers or mobile phones may vary. Please check the rate with your phone service provider.