On 9 December, STS Food Centre Limited, 193 Homerton High Street, E9 6BB, was found guilty of selling an alcoholic drink to a 15-year-old police cadet as part of a Council Trading Standards test purchase operation. The business was fined £500, and ordered to pay £1000 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge at Thames Magistrates Court.

Hackney Council’s Trading Standards Team regularly works with Hackney Police and police cadets to carry out test purchase operations, which aim to crack down on the illegal sale of knives, fireworks, video games, alcohol and cigarettes.

The incident took place on 26 September, 2009 at STS Food Centre, when a sales assistant sold a WKD Blue drink to the police cadet, without demanding proof of age. The sale was witnessed by two members of the Council’s Trading Standards Team, who took subsequent action.

The sales assistant, Mr Oktay Kilicarslam, of Buxhall Crescent, E9, pleaded guilty earlier this year, and was ordered to pay a fine of £100, court costs of £300 and a victim surcharge of £15. STS Food Centre Limited, the employers of the sales assistant, pleaded not guilty and subsequently faced trial.

Councillor Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Hackney Council, says: ”Selling alcohol to children is illegal, dangerous, and irresponsible. The Council will continue to work in partnership with the police to take action against traders who do not take their responsibilities seriously.”