Staff at seven Oxford bars have been praised for refusing to serve schoolgirls during an undercover drinking sting.

Two 15-year-old girls were sent out on Wednesday (April 19) night under the joint police and city council's Operation Breezer, which aims to crackdown on underage drinking.

They were refused service or entry at the Old School, in Gloucester Green; Que Pasa, Queen Street; the Chequers, St Thomas Street; the Honeypot, Hollybush Row; Antiquity Hall, Hythe Bridge Street; Bubbly bar, Park End Street and Yates's, George Street.

Two undercover council officers went into the bars, followed by the two 15-year-olds.

If they were served, they would tell the officers and uniformed police would then come into the pub and issue the £80 fine to the guilty member of staff.

It is the second undercover sting in two months, but last time, in February, four out of seven bars were fined.

Chris Proudfoot, owner of The Old School one the pubs which received a fixed penalty during the last crackdown said: "It is much better. We have been doing a lot of staff training and making sure everyone checks (the age) no matter what."

Nick Tuck, manager of the Honeypot, was delighted to hear his staff had turned the girls away.

He said: "We have just got our late licence so we have to be very strict on that. "Personally I think the operation is a really good idea."

Karen Crossan, manager of Nightsafe, the scheme to combat Oxford's drug and alcohol-related problems, said: "I am sure that the previous operation sent out a warning that serving underage drinkers will not be tolerated in Oxford city centre."

Insp Graham Sutherland, of Oxford Police, said: "I am pleased that this operation has found all of the premises we visited to be alert to the issues of under age sales.

"We will continue to use young people to conduct visits of licensed premises, which I believe is necessary and completely justifiable."

Susan Brown, the city council's executive member for crime and community safety, said while Operation Breezer had proved successful, there was no room for complacency.

But she added: "This does show that by sending a strong message to licensees that it will not be tolerated you can tackle the problem."