FIFTEEN retailers in North East Lincolnshire are being dealt with for serving alcohol and cigarettes to children.
The premises, which North East Lincolnshire Council will not name, all failed test purchases for age-restricted products between April and September.
Further action is now being taken, including alcohol licence reviews, two-week closure notices, formal cautions and prosecutions.
Although the 17.5 per cent failure rate is higher than the same period last year, it is lower than the test purchase failure rate of 2007, which was more than 22 per cent.
The latest raft of tests revealed purchasing of products such as fireworks and knives found a 100 per cent compliance rate.
Councillor Dave Bolton, portfolio holder for community safety and neighbourhoods, said: "These results show that there is still a need to check businesses that sell age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco to ensure that they are complying with the law.
"If they do fail a test purchase it is important that they are provided with advice on how not to sell to young people.
"Reducing the availability of alcohol and tobacco to young people is a high priority for this council to reduce the risk of harm to children."
Head of improved health, Beverley Compton, added: "These results for alcohol and tobacco are disappointing, but the public can rest assured that action is being or has been taken against these businesses to ensure that they are punished for breaking the law and aware of their responsibilities and how to get this right."
North East Lincolnshire's public protection department, which includes Trading Standards, licensing and environmental health, conducts test purchasing in conjunction with Humberside Police using volunteers under the legal age for the product concerned.
If you have concerns about traders in your area selling age-restricted products to young people or would like to be a test purchase volunteer, call Trading Standards on 01472 324770 or trading.standards@nelincs.gov.uk
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