A SHOP sold a bottle of vodka to a 14-year-old, a Bradford court has heard.

The teen went into Immy G’s, also known as Newsline, in Halifax town centre early last June, and was successfully able to purchase a 20cl bottle of Glen Vodka.

Unbeknownst to the store, the 14-year-old was a test purchaser sent in by West Yorkshire Trading Standards after numerous complaints of underage alcohol sales.

Both the George Street store and its director Imtiyaz Mamaniyat were charged with selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and were due to appear at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Nobody attended the case, and they were found guilty in their absence.

Mr Hallam, prosecuting on behalf of Trading Standards, said: “Trading Standards have had numerous complaints dating back around nine years.”

He said it was not Mamaniyat who sold the alcohol, but in interview he admitted that as director of the company it was his responsibility.

Mr Hallam said Calderdale Council had stripped the shop of its alcohol licence late last year, but pointed out that Mamaniyat still had a personal licence to sell alcohol.

He told magistrates that after being found guilty of this charge, Trading Standards would likely take action to remove this licence.

Magistrates fined Mamaniyat £330 and ordered him to pay £994 towards the court costs.

The business was fined the same amount, and ordered to pay £995 towards costs.