A Birmingham shop has been fined after it sold a bottle of WKD Blue vodka to a 16-year-old without requesting proof of age, a court heard.
During a Trading Standards test purchase exercise conducted earlier this year, officers visited various premises across Birmingham, including 7 Star Food and Wine on Glenpark Road in January. An underage volunteer was able to buy the vodka without any attempt by staff to verify their age.
At a hearing in Birmingham Magistrates Court, prosecutor Kate Symms, representing Birmingham City Council, explained that two 16-year-olds, accompanied by officers, visited the shop, with one attempting to purchase alcohol. The staff member made no effort to ask for identification or confirm the volunteer’s age before completing the sale.
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Ms Symms described the incident as “a really serious matter,” emphasising the council’s commitment to preventing underage alcohol sales. She noted that the company had failed to ensure adequate measures were enforced, including the basic Challenge 25 policy, which should have prevented the sale.
In mitigation, it was acknowledged that the company did have measures in place, such as employee training and signage promoting the Challenge 25 scheme, but these had not been properly implemented by the staff member involved. The company accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty.
Defence barrister David Dodds emphasised that this was an isolated incident during a routine city-wide operation and not based on specific intelligence. He highlighted that no actual harm occurred as the purchase was a controlled test and no alcohol was consumed by the minor. Mr Dodds also noted the company’s full cooperation during the investigation and absence of previous convictions.
The magistrates fined the company £154, ordered a £62 surcharge, and imposed costs of £1,000.