The owner of an Amman valley filling station has had his licence suspended for a day after staff sold alcohol to youngsters under the age of 18.
A Carmarthenshire County Council licensing sub-committee carried out a review of the premises licence of Glanamman Service Station in Cwmamman Road, Glanamman after alcohol was sold to an under-18.
The hearing was told that on October 28, 2009, county council Trading Standards officers carried out an underage alcohol test purchasing exercise at the service station after reports of anti-social behaviour problems in the area. The exercise resulted in alcohol, in the shape of Smirnoff Ice, being sold to a person under the age of 18.
On July 16 and 17 and August 13 and 20, 2008, Trading Standards Officers carried out underage alcohol test purchasing exercises at the premises. These also resulted in alcohol being sold on all four occasions to youngsters under the age of 18. Underage sales had previously been discovered in September 2007 and in 2003.
The premises’ licence was reviewed by the county council in December 2008 when conditions were added to the licence.
The hearing was told that the Trading Standards Manager did not believe that the current operation of the premises in relation to alcohol sales was sufficiently promoting the licensing objectives of protecting children from harm and preventing crime and disorder and therefore requested that the premises’ licence should be suspended.
The premises failed seven out of eight test purchases.
Gary Jones, representing the premises licence holder Khadim Hussein, said that the member of staff responsible for the underage sale had been properly trained and had accepted responsibility for the sales.
“Was there individual employee error? Yes. Was it due to fault or omission by Mr Hussein? No, a most definite no,” he said.
The sub-committee decided to warn Mr Hussein about the sale of alcohol to under-18s, to remind him to familiarise himself and key employees with the licence conditions, and to suspend the licence for 24 hours as a deterrent and to remind Mr Hussein of his responsibilities.
