TRADERS who sold alcohol to two under-age schoolgirls have been condemned by trading standards officers.

The 15 and 16-year-old, both casually dressed, were sold alcohol in six of the ten shops visited in the Redcar and Cleveland area over two days.

They were taking part in a series of test purchases to check on legislation which bans the sale of alcohol to youngsters under the age of 16.

Councillor Dave McLuckie, lead member for community safety with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: "These are quite appalling results. Incredibly, at half the shops proof of the girl's true age was handed over and yet sales still took place.

"Every councillor receives complaints about anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking.

"It's a combined problem and not easy to control but these results make it even harder. We will not hesitate to bring down the full might of the law on traders who persist in selling alcohol to under-age people."

The exercise was carried out by the council's trading standards department in a pilot project following recent changes in legislation that allows traders to be scrutinised with the help of young volunteers.

Chief Trading Standards Officer Jeff Bell said: "It would have been disappointing to detect just one sale after all the recent publicity but to find 60 per cent of shops visited were willing to sell to two young volunteers is intolerable.

"When we first got responsibility for under-age sales we sent out warning letters to local off-licence traders. We will now be sending out reminders and following up with repeat exercises.

"The penalties for selling alcohol to the under-aged can be very strict, prosecution can lead to fines of up of to £1,000 but ultimately licences, and therefore livelihoods, could be in jeopardy."

The volunteers were trained to be honest in any response to requests to give their age or hand over a proof of age card