Lisson Grove off-licence's alcohol ban

Westminster Council's licensing sub-committee has also prosecuted the licensee Ampalavanar Ramanan, who twice sold bottles of vodka to a 13-year-old, together with the police.

Several new conditions have also been placed on the shop's licence including that all alcohol should be placed in translucent - rather than black - bags, that the member of staff responsible for the underage sales should have no part whatsoever in the business, that a comprehensive CCTV system is installed to monitor all alcohol sales and that a daily log is kept of all alcohol sale refusals.

There should be no self service of spirits and that no beer, cider or larger stronger than 5.5 per cent should be sold. This last condition is to prevent street drinking.

Chairman of the licensing sub committee Cllr Michael Brahams said : "There's no excuse for not asking for identification when selling alcohol to young people.

"The council has a duty to protect children and to make sure retailers act responsibly and within the law. When they fail to do so, as was sadly the case at Conteh's, we and the police will take firm action to ensure this does not happen again."

Inspector Neil Acheson, from the Met's Licensing Enforcement Team, added: "Cracking down on under-age drinking can only be a success if licensed premises and off licenses work with us and refuse to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18.

"Whilst we work very closely with the majority of shops, bars and clubs in Westminster, those that continue to sell alcohol to under 18s undermine the good work being done across the rest of the borough."

Westminster City Council is now preparing to review the licences of several other premises found to be selling alcohol to under-18s during a recent test purchase operation and sends a warning to retailers that this breach of the law will not be tolerated

Ampalavanar Ramanan, who was the licensee at Conteh, pleaded guilty at City of Westminster magistrates court on 13 January. He was ordered to pay a £400 fine and £100 in costs and has been banned from selling alcohol from the shop in the future.

The shop owner, Thiyagarajah Thevarajah is now also the licensee.