A 24-HOUR newsagent could lose its licence after staff allegedly sold alcohol to children four times.

Kirklees Council will decide the fate of Top News at Colne Road, Huddersfield, later this week.

West Yorkshire Police has asked for the licence review after carrying out undercover test purchases with under-age volunteers.

Officers claim that staff at the shop sold alcohol to under-18s on December 3 and November 3 last year and on January 25 and April 26, 2009.

Pc Richard Woodhead wrote to Kirklees on December 9, 2010 to ask the council to take action against the licence-holder Basharat Ali.

He wrote: “We are calling for a review of Top News due to the fact they have failed two test purchases within a four-week period.

“Top News in Huddersfield is one of the very few shops to be afforded the luxury of 24-hour alcohol sales seven days a week.

“We feel that Mr Ali has very poor management systems in place.

“The shop in Huddersfield has shown to be very lacking in staff training and management control leading to children being able to obtain alcohol.”

However, in a second letter to the council’s Licensing Panel on January 18, Pc Woodhead revealed that progress had been made.

He wrote: “Since meeting Mr Basharat Ali it became apparent that the two employees who had failed the test purchases on November 3 and December 3 also failed to inform him of these test purchases.