Two Havering off-licence supervisors have been ordered to pay more than �2,000 after selling alcohol to under-age teenagers.

They sold alcohol to volunteers working with council officers Havering Magistrates’ Court was told last Friday.

They were both Costcutter stores, the first in Mawney Road, Romford, and the second in Faringdon Avenue, Harold Hill. New Road Wines, in New Road, Rainham, also failed a test purchase.

On February 26 a council trading standards officer, along with a 16 and 17-year-old girls, visited the Mawney Road store.

They were sold a bottle of wine by an employee and the store supervisor Anil Patel was contacted by the police.

Later that evening a council officer and the 17-year-old volunteer went to the Faringdon Avenue store where she was sold a bottle of wine.

She was not asked her age or for identification.

The council said Mr Patel, who was the supervisor for both Costcutters, had no written records of any training or written policies.

Mr Patel, who was not in court on Friday, was found guilty in his absence of selling alcohol to someone under-age. He was fined �700, ordered to pay �738 prosecution costs and a �15 victim surcharge.

On March 5 council officers, again with two volunteers aged 16 and 17, went to New Road Wines.

The premises supervisor Justin Russell sold two bottles of alcohol to the girl, aged 16. He did not ask her age of for identification.

The council said the store had no refusals log, no till prompts, no challenge 21 policy or formal training provided to staff.

He was fined �200 and ordered to pay �520.44 prosecution costs and a �15 victim surcharge. The magistrates gave him credit for his early guilty plea.

Cllr Michael White, leader of Havering Council, said: “A minority of stores obviously don’t care about alcohol getting into youngsters hands and the anti-social behaviour that can result.

“Tackling alcohol-related disorder is one of our priorities and we will not allow our residents to have their quality of life affected by irresponsible off licences.”