SHOPKEEPERS in Kirklees top the regional league tables when it comes to complaints about selling booze to children.
Before a West Yorkshire-wide sting operation was announced in July, 53 complaints had been made by people unhappy about off-licenses suspected of peddling drink to youngsters.
That compared to just 10 for the whole of Leeds, 11 in Bradford and 15 in Calderdale.
However, despite the level of complaints, the number of illegal sales in Kirklees remained small.
When visited by a 14-year-old undercover buyer in the crackdown, two shops sold alcohol while four were found to be committing licensing offences.
Six Shopkeepers in Wakefield sold drink to youngsters while three shopkeepers in Bradford peddled drink to an undercover buyer.
This month, a blitz on sales of alcohol to under-age youngsters appeared to show the message was getting through and Huddersfield shops were sticking to the law.
Police and West Yorkshire Trading Standards officials called at 10 premises around the town on Thursday August 5 to see if they would sell alcohol to under-age children.
In all the shops, the 14-year- old boy was refused alcohol.
Nationally, about one in three shops sell to under-age buyers.
Kirklees councillor Tony Brice, a member of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee, said: "The apparent ease with which youngsters can purchase alcohol illegally is of great concern to local people."
Grahame Maxwell, Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, said of off-licenses: "All staff should be aware of their responsibilities in helping to reduce anti-social and rowdy behaviour."
