Two shops in Tendring have been caught selling alcohol to underage customers in a major clampdown.
The licensees or staff who carried out the sale now face possible prosecution for the offence.
A joint operation was carried out by police and trading standards officers on New Year's Eve.
They targeted eight stores and off-licences in the Clacton and Frinton areas, having previously been round giving out a warning the initiative would take place.
Dave Appleby, licensing officer for Tendring police, said he and the trading standards team were disappointed with the result.
"It means we had a 25 per cent failure in the eight premises we visited. We would rather have had no failures," he said.
Mr Appleby said the team had a 15-year-old boy go into the shops to try to make a purchase.
Mr Appleby said the two stores had been informed and the licensees would now have to go to Clacton police station for an interview in the next couple of weeks.
Published Tuesday January 6, 2004
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