Cllr Lesley Kelly

An operation by Havering trading standards officers was cut short recently, after every single off-licence tested was caught selling alcohol to under-18s.

The operation, on April 4, tested five premises and found all five were willing to sell alcohol to minors.

They were all issued with fixed penalty notices.

The tests, carried out during the school holidays, had a 100 per cent failure rate – which is five times higher than the normal rate of the regular operations carried out by Havering Council officers.

Details of the failed operation emerged at a licensing sub-committee meeting two weeks ago, although the names of the premises have not been released.

Cabinet member for public protection, Cllr Lesley Kelly, said last week: “This was not a normal result, but any shop selling drink to underage children is one too many.

“This is exactly why we conduct operations of this type. We can help shops put training and prevention methods for their staff in place. We will not hesitate to use all our powers to stop underage sales.”