A Carlisle corner shop licence holder ordered by court to pay more than £3,000 for selling alcohol to underage customers has been sent a "clear message".

David Forrester, the licence holder of the One Stop store on Fusehill Street was fined after an undercover Trading Standards sting in which a 15-year-old boy was sold four cans of cider.

Forrester, of Longlands Road in Stanwix, was summoned to attend Carlisle magistrates’ court earlier this week but failed to appear.

In his absence a charge of selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 was proven.

Forrester was fined £770, and ordered to pay a £77 victim surcharge and £2,335.32 in legal costs.

In the Trading Standards sting, carried out in April 2018, the cider was sold in the One Stop shop to a 15-year-old boy accompanied by a girl of the same age, without a request for identification.

This was in spite of Forrester's One Stop shop being part of the 'Challenge 25' scheme, which requires shops to request ID from anyone making a restricted purchase who appears under the age of 25.

Less than two months later the boy, now 16, returned and was again sold lager without being asked for his ID.

The fine imposed by the court this week was described by PC Mike Watson of the Carlisle local focus team as a "clear message" to Forrester and all licence holders that requesting identification from young people is important when selling restricted items.

“We work in partnership with licence holders and Trading Standards to prevent the sale of alcohol to those underage," he said.

"We do this to prevent any related antisocial behaviour and also to protect the health of young people.

“Licence holders are well aware of the consequences of selling alcohol to children and we work with them to educate their staff on the importance of requesting identification.

“I hope that this sends a clear message to all licence holders and that they do any work necessary to remind their staff of the importance to challenge.”