On 10 December 2008 Mr Hasan Kale licensee and owner of Cansu Mini market, 22 Englefield Road, London N1 pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates Court to selling alcohol to an underage teenager earlier this year. He was fined £750 and ordered to pay £750 costs.

Mr Kale sold alcohol to a 15 year old in April 2008, during an undercover test purchase operation by Hackney Trading Standards, in which he did not ask for proper ID.

Cllr Alan Laing, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said: “Selling alcohol to underage teenagers is a very serious offence. It is disappointing that the fine handed down by the court was not higher in this case. We will be calling on the Government to give us as the local authority more powers to take away traders’ licences for selling age restricted products to kids.”

Trading Standards regularly carry out test purchase exercises in the borough, to check age-restricted items, such as cigarettes, spray paints, fireworks and alcohol are not being sold to under-18s.

Anyone with any queries about selling or buying age restricted items should contact Hackney Trading Standards on 020 8356 4929 for advice and information

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