THREE more Oxford shops have been caught selling alcohol to underage teenagers.

Another two stores face court action after police claimed a child bought drink from them during the same undercover operation against five premises.

The swoop came less than a month after the Oxford Mail named and shamed 46 businesses which sold alcohol to children in undercover operations in the last financial year.

That figure was down on the year before, and Oxfordshire’s licensing officers had hoped landlords and shop owners were finally getting the message.

However, the latest operation on Tuesday, May 4, proves there is still work to be done to convince licence holders to check the age of every young person they sell alcohol to.

Iffley News in Iffley Road, R & H News in St Clement’s Street, and Regency Stores in Magdalen Road failed the test, which was set by police from the East Oxford neighbourhood team and licensing officers.

Staff members at the three stores were given £80 fixed penalty notices.

Another two licensees at The Oxford Off-Licence in St Clements and Magdalen Stores in Magdalen Road face prosecution following the operation.

Last night, licensing officer Alex Bloomfield said: “It is disappointing. This for us is a blip in the results. Up until the last operation, we had had mixed results and there were improvements.

“From our point of view there is no excuse. The law is pretty clear.”

Mr Bloomfield said the operation had been prompted by reports of underage drinkers antisocial behaviour and street drinkers in East Oxford.

He also warned pubs, bars and shops his team would be back to continue the crackdown on premises which flout the law.

He added: “The sale of alcohol to those under-18 is an offence and the alcohol sold can fuel public order and antisocial offences that can impact on neighbourhoods.”

A spokesman for Iffley News said: “It has all been sorted” – but declined to comment further.

The owner of Regency Stores said he was out of the country at the time and did not know anything about the incident.

Suresh Kumar, of R & H News, said: “It was a genuine mistake. We are trying our best. We’ve all got kids and we know what effect selling alcohol will have. The police are trying to trap us.”

Anyone with information about licensed premises selling alcohol to under-18s should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

eallen@oxfordmail.co.uk