A SHOP shamed as the worst in West Yorkshire for selling alcohol and cigarettes to underage children has had its licence to sell them removed.
Naseem Sarwar, who owns The Off License in Manchester Road at Longroyd Bridge, had his personal and premises licences suspended for six months by Huddersfield magistrates.
His brother, Mohammed Afzal, was barred from selling tobacco or cigarette paper for a year.
They had been responsible for serving booze and cigarettes to test purchasers aged 14 and 16.
West Yorkshire Trading Standards (WYTS) said in a recent investigation into underage sales, the shop was the worst performer.
Samantha Lawton, prosecuting, said the shop was visited on February 5 following complaints to the service.
She said: “The WYTS underwent a test purchase and an officer visited the premises accompanied by a 14-year-old boy.
“The officer witnessed the sale of a bottle of alcohol (VK blue) and a packet of 10 (Lambert and Butler) cigarettes.
“On April 9 the officer accompanied by a 16-year-old visited again and witnessed the sale of a bottle of alcohol (WKD) and a packet of cigarettes.
“No attempt was made to ask for age or proof of ID on either of the visits.”
Afzal, 50, was working behind the counter on both occasions.
He was interviewed under caution and said he had believed the purchasers to be 18, but admitted that he found it difficult to judge ages.
Sarwar, 40, was also interviewed and said he did operate a challenge 21 policy, although there were no posters on display indicating this.
He said he did everything he could to prevent underage sales and had never been personally responsible for this.
But magistrates heard that the store had failed a previous test purchase in July 2010, this time by a 15-year-old girl.
The pair, both from Bankfield Road, Longroyd Bridge, were interviewed then and offered a caution.
Mrs Lawton said: “Since July 31, 2010 until August 25, 2011, The Off License has been identified as the poorest performing retail premises in the whole of West Yorkshire in regards to underage sales law.
“From the period of April 1 2010, to present, over 100 test purchases have been carried out.
“The Off License is the only premises within this period who have sold six products (over three separate dates) to underage children not only in KMC, but in the whole of West Yorkshire.”
