Shop sold cigarettes to 16-year-old boy

A CONVENIENCE store owner has been fined after a staff member was caught selling cigarettes to an under age boy.

At Bolton Magistrates Court, Andrew Morris, prosecuting on behalf of Bolton Council, told how Trading Standards officials recruited a 16- year-old boy to make test purchases of cigarettes at premises on Bolton.

On August 11 last year, he walked into the S and S Mini Market, in Deane Road, Bolton, and was sold a packet of 10 cigarettes by sales assistant Miroslava Barosova.

The court heard that Barosova, aged 23, had only begun working at the store two days earlier and had not received any proper training about asking for identification before selling cigarettes and there were no signs up in the premises about the issue.

Barosova, of Cestrian Street, Great Lever, and shop owner Handren Mustafa, aged 42, of Holme Street, Great Lever, pleaded guilty to selling tobacco to a person aged under 18.

Mustafa was fined £300 and must pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge and Barosova was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and must pay £100 costs.