CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has advised retailers in Ellesmere Port to be vigilant when selling alcohol.
The advice comes after the owner of a pizza shop in Ellesmere Port found himself on the wrong side of the law when he mistakenly believed a customer was over 18.
She was, in fact, a persistent 15-year-old who had already been turned away after she tried to buy alcohol in several other shops.
Takeaway owner Saeid Mehdi Zaverah, of Whitby Road, later appeared in court charged with selling alcohol to the girl on November 17 last year at Tuscano’s, but the case was dismissed.
A spokesman for the council said: “It is important to point out that the girl was rightly refused an alcohol purchase by three other traders.
“Trading Standards will continue to work with retailers and take appropriate action to prevent the supply of alcohol to under-age customers.
“We recommend all premises that sell alcohol to adopt Challenge 25. This is a process where retailers ask all customers under 25 to provide a recognised form of ID, for example a passport, driving licence or pass approved ID card to prove they are over 18 before the sale is made.
“This prevents them having to make the narrow judgment of whether a person is below or over 18.”
