TWO Burnley off-licences have been hit with £80 fines after serving alcohol to juveniles in a police sting.

Burnley police carried out the test purchase operation when six off-licences in the east of the borough were targeted to test whether they would ask a youth who was under the age of 16 for proof of age before allowing them to buy alcohol.

Of the six tested, three passed by both asking the youth their age and also asking for some means of ID.

Of the other three one received a warning and at the other two £80 fixed penalty notices were issued after alcohol was sold.

The details of all six off-licences, in the Trinity, Burnley Wood and Daneshouse with Stoneyholme areas, and the results were also passed to the police's licensing officer for further action to be considered.

Police Community Support Officer Dave Johnson said: "This is part of our ongoing commitment to reduce alcohol mis-use by juveniles by tackling the problem at it's source.

"All off-licence owners are warned that they may be taken to court if they persist in selling alcohol to under-age youths and those found to do so will be issued with an immediate fixed penalty of £80.

"This exercise will be carried out at irregular but frequent intervals to deter the sale of alcohol to those under age. We will also be targeting those over the age of 18 who are purchasing alcohol for younger juveniles.

"Those individuals are warned that this is an offence for which they will be arrested if found engaging in such activity."

During the exercise, eight litres of alcohol were confiscated from youths by police and poured away.