A WREXHAM trader caught selling alcohol to children has been landed with a £356 court bill.

Hastyar Husseni was the registered licensee of Wrexham Off Licence, formerly Euro Delikatesy, when trading standards officers called to make covert test purchases using under-age volunteers.

Husseni’s solicitor, Paddy Whur, described the defendant’s prosecution as “unusual and very rare” as he was not the owner of the business, but had been asked to hold the premise licence while his boss was “travelling”.

But at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court Husseni, 27, of Chester Street, Wrexham pleaded guilty to selling alcohol to a child on two or more different occasions on November 23 last year and February 2 this year, within a period of three months of each other.

Prosecuting for Wrexham Council Julie Worswick said the first test purchase was made at the High Street shop with a trading standards officer accompanied by a 16-year-old volunteer who picked up four cans of lager which the teenager was able to buy with no I.D asked for.

As a result, Husseni attended an interview under caution at the council offices in December last year where he accepted he was the licence holder and although he was not on the premises at the time he was told he had supervisory responsibility for the shop.

The business was later sent an advisory pack on how to tackle under-age customers and how to display warning posters.

But two Police and Community Support Officers (PCSOs) conducted a second visit in February this year with three 16-year-old volunteers.

Four cans of cider were picked up and paid for without any challenge over age or I.D.

When he was interviewed again Husseni said the shop refused under-age customers up to eight or ten times a week, but it was pointed out to him he could be dealing with around 20 such attempted purchases a week.

“Legal advice was not being followed and procedures were not in place to prevent alcohol sales to children,” said the prosecutor.

The court was told the store was now under new ownership and Mr Whur, defending, said Husseni was a shop assistant who had been ill-equipped to run it and received no extra payment from the owner.

“Both test purchases were dealt with by fixed penalty fines and because of that trading standards have revoked the premises’ licence, although an appeal against that is due,” said the solicitor.

“He (Husseni) wasn’t the owner of the business.”

Magistrates agreed to waive the council’s prosecution costs, but fined Husseni £206 with £120 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.