TRADING standards officers are warning about the sale of alcohol to young people in the run-up to Christmas.

An advice pack is being distributed to off-licences in the Wearside area.

It follows previous campaigns and prosecutions of traders who have fallen foul of the law relating to the sale of alcohol to underage customers.

The Age Restricted Sales information pack contains advice and guidance for shopkeepers. It includes forms for staff to sign accepting responsibility for the sale of age-restricted products.

These include alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, fireworks and cigarette lighter refills.

Shopkeepers also have forms to sign detailing staff training and advice they have provided about age-restricted sales. There are also tobacco and alcohol warning notices to display in shops.

Sunderland City Council trading standards officer Tom Terrett said: "We want to work with traders rather than against them and we hope shopkeepers will find these packs useful and informative."

Shopkeepers are urged to keep a record of when they have refused to sell an item to a young customer and the reason for doing so.