ONE in three Oxfordshire shops targeted in an underage alcohol operation were caught selling drink to teenagers.

Volunteers aged between 13 and 15 tested 25 shops across the county, with the youngsters in eight of those shops being sold alcopops and lager.

Oxfordshire trading standards and police issued the shop assistants at all eight stores with £80 fines.

Nigel Strick, head of Oxfordshire trading standards, said the results were "extremely worrying and disappointing", and said strong action would continue against offenders.

The eight shops which sold alcohol to the teenagers were JK News, Grandpont, Oxford; Costcutter, Rose Hill, Oxford; Rose Hill News, Rose Hill, Oxford; Londis, Cinnaminta Road, Headington, Oxford; Londis, Sutton Courtenay; The Local (formerly Threshers), Jericho, Oxford; Budgens, Peachcroft, Abingdon; Co-op, Longelandes Way, Banbury.

Mr Strick said: "Several weeks ago we publicised the new zero tolerance approach we are taking to prevent sales of alcohol to under 18s.

"That means if alcohol is sold to someone under 18, the seller faces an immediate penalty.

"This is the first enforcement campaign under this approach and the results are extremely worrying and disappointing."

Most of the stores were apologetic. Anwar Dogarcorr, owner of Costcutter in Rose Hill, Oxford, said: "I was not at the shop when this happened. My wife was working and she can't speak good English. I've been struggling to find staff to work at the shop. We have got a strict policy on alcohol sales, we do not usually sell to under 18s.

"My wife asked them the teenagers for ID, but they just said they were 18. When I heard about it I was very upset. It's wrong. It won't happen again in the future."

Mushahid Syed, of Rose Hill News, said: "I was not aware I was selling alcohol to under 18s. Stupidly, I didn't ask them for ID. Usually I would, but it was really busy in the shop that day and I was feeling unwell, so I didn't think to ask for ID. I will do from now on."

Adrian Barradell, spokesman for the Co-op's Banbury store, said: "This was a regrettable and unusual mistake by a Co-op store.

"We have a detailed training programme and refusal log for this issue. Normally, no alcohol would be sold to an individual who looks under 21 unless they have ID."

Steve Rees, owner of Londis in Sutton Courtenay, said: "I have shown trading standards all the procedures we have in place to prevent selling alcohol to under 18s.

"We take stringent steps to make sure we do not, but in this case my assistant made a mistake and failed to get ID.

"I have looked at the video of the incident and the girl did look old for her age.

"I am aware of the problems of underage drinking and am keen to work with police to stamp out the problem."

At the Londis store in Headington, Oxford, an assistant, who refused to give his name, would only say: "We usually check for ID. It was just a mistake made by the assistant working at the time."

The manager of Budgens in Abingdon declined to comment but referred us to the store's head office, which said: "We were extremely concerned to hear that a member of staff at our store had sold alcohol to an underage person.

"Only last week all staff at the store had been formally re-briefed on the disciplines.

"Budgens fully supports the tough stance being taken on the serving of alcohol to underage persons and all staff at all stores have been reminded in the strongest possible terms of their responsibilities."

The manager of Threshers in Walton Street, Jericho, Oxford, refused to comment, but referred us to the head office which did not return our call before going to press.

No one was available for comment at JK News in Abingdon Road, Oxford.