A 14-year-old was sold alcohol by a city centre shop during an undercover operation, a court was told.

The test purchase was carried out at Lynxes off licence on Sunbridge Road after Trading Standards received complaints the prominent business was selling alcohol to children.

The incident happened in September 2022 – and on Thursday the store’s director Mohammed Jamal appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court.

The sale came despite a warning from Trading Standards that it was likely to carry out test purchases on the store due to the complaints.

Jamal, of Rawson Road, was due to face trial over selling alcohol to someone under 18, but changed his plea to guilty on the day of the trial.

The court heard that during a Trading Standards test purchase, a bottle of Corona 4.5 per cent lager was sold to a 14-year-old.

The case was launched after West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service received complaints about the premises selling alcohol to underage children.

On September 6, 2022 a 14-year-old volunteer entered the shop, under the supervision of a Trading Standards Officer, and went to the counter with a bottle of Corona beer.

He was able to buy the booze for £1.79, without being challenged about his age or asked for any form of ID by the seller.

Jamal, 30, was the Director and Premises Licence holder of the business and was interviewed after the sale took place.

During the interview, he confirmed he was the owner of Lynxes Off Licence. He stated that he generally took precautions to prevent sales to persons under the age of 18 and there are warning signs in the shop stating no sale to under 18s and that he operates a Challenge 25 policy.

He said he believed he had taken all reasonable precautions.

Since the interview, Jamal has introduced a refusals book, in which the staff record any refusals of sales of age restricted products.

No further complaints regarding age restricted sales have been received since the test purchase.

He was fined £145 and ordered by Magistrates to pay a surcharge of £58 and costs of £2,825.

After the case, David Strover, Trading Standards Manager - Business Services Team, 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 under 25, as we do make regular test purchases to investigate complaints about underage sales from members of the public.”