Adur council's licensing committee had been asked to impose a two-month ban by police on the North Road store in a bid to crack down on under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour in the area.

But after meeting today (Thursday, September 4) councillors decided to suspend the shop's premises licence from 11pm on September 25 to 7am on September 29.

Police told the committee that the staff at the store had twice sold alcohol to 16-year-olds without asking their age during test purchase operations in March and May where they had sent in police cadets to various shops, pubs and off-licences to see if they were breaking the laws on selling booze to under-18s.

The store's manager, regional manager and designated premises supervisor had all attended a meeting at Shoreham police station and told officers the situation was being dealt with and check outs manned by under-age staff were to be phased out.

But in July a group of 10 teenagers were stop checked by police in a nearby recreation ground having been seen running from the alley at the north side of the store.

Alcohol had been bought in Somerfield by a 19-year-old who had hidden it in some bushes for the under-age youths to drink.

Adur Chief Inspector James Asser said: "This store is situated in an area of Lancing where historically there have been a series of problems involving youths, under-age drinking and disorder in and around the store and at the recreation ground nearby.

"There is a clear link between the alcohol obtained by or on behalf of these youths and the anti-social behaviour which results such as criminal damage."

The committee have also ordered Somerfield to ask all customers who appear to be aged 21 to provide proof of age before being allowed to buy alcohol and that a personal licence holder is present on the premises to supervise all alcohol sales from 5pm to closing time.

They will also have to keep a record of any refusals to sell alcohol which can be inspected by police and licensing officers and regularly train all staff to prevent the sale of alcohol to under-age customers and to drunk customers.

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