A CHILD was sold two cans of a vodka-based drink at a Keighley shop, a court was told.

The AU Vodka Soda was sold to a 15-year-old during a Trading Standards test purchase at European Food, North Street, in August 2023.

Payman Bahrami, director of European Food (Keighley) Ltd, which operates the store, pleaded guilty – in his capacity as director of the company – to committing the offence, and also pleaded guilty on behalf of the company itself.

Bahrami, of Wardle Crescent, was fined £553 by Kirklees Magistrates Court, and ordered to pay a £221 victim surcharge and £400 costs.

European Food (Keighley) Ltd was fined £1,000, with a victim surcharge of £400 and costs of £2,002.

Also in court was the shopworker who was on the till, Milad Karimi, who pleaded guilty to the sale of the alcohol. In mitigation he said that in the previous month he'd been burgled and his mind was not on the job.

Karimi, of North Street, was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £48 surcharge.

The case was brought after West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service received complaints about the premises selling alcohol to underage children. In August 2023, a 15-year-old volunteer entered the shop, under the supervision of a Trading Standards officer, and asked to buy two cans of AU Vodka Soda.

They were able to make the purchase without being challenged about their age or asked for any ID.

Bahrami and Karimi were both interviewed later. During the interview Karimi admitted to the sale of the alcohol and that it was a mistake. He added that he had received training and regular reminders not to sell age-restricted products to persons under the age of 18.

Bahrami stated that he had trained his staff but kept no written evidence of the training.

David Strover, head of Trading Standards (business services), said: “We wrote to this business to make them aware of a complaint we had received and informed them a test purchase may follow. Off-licence proprietors need to ensure they ask for identification for all customers who look underage, as we do make regular test purchases to investigate complaints from members of the public.”

Councillor Sue Duffy – deputy chair of West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee, which oversees the work of Trading Standards – said: “It is irresponsible not to check the age of teenage customers wanting to purchase age-restricted goods.”