A TESCO supermarket was among three Hove off-licences caught selling booze to underage children.

Poets Convenience Store, in Westbourne Road, Vega Express, in Sackville Road, and Tesco Express, in The Droveway, were caught out during a test purchase sting by Sussex Police’s Licensing Unit on Thursday night.

Members of staff at Vega Express and Poets Convenience were issued with £90 on-the-spot penalties for serving alcohol to 16-year-old volunteers.

All three premises have been invited to a meeting with the licensing team, however officers are considering what action to take against the Tesco Express store. Officers have the power to ask Brighton and Hove City Councillors to consider revoking the stores’ alcohol licences.

Sergeant Ben Hearth, from the Brighton and Hove neighbourhood licensing team, said: “We conduct test purchase operations with our partners in Trading Standards on a regular basis and premises are targeted following intelligence being provided to us.

“The last tests conducted in Hove resulted in three of the four premises tested selling to our 16-year-old volunteers, which is very disappointing.”

Of the four Hove outlets visited, only Wine Me Up, in Blatchington Road, asked for the underage buyer’s proof-of-age and refused to sell to the 16-year-old.

Nashat Melek, shop assistant at Wine Me Up, told The Argus, “I have been working in off licences for the last seven years and I know to ask everybody to make sure that we are asking for ID.

“It isn’t particularly hard to spot underage people who come into the shop.”

Jean Irving, Sussex Police’s head of licensing and public safety, said: “The selling of alcohol to children seems to be becoming more prevalent.

“Some premises appear to be more interested in increasing their profits rather than exercising social responsibility and adhering to the law.

“Giving alcohol to children puts them in danger. Any premises caught selling alcohol to children puts their licence in danger. We will not hesitate to consider applying for a review of the licence to ask for removal of management or even asking for the licence to be revoked.”

Tesco and Poets Convenience Store did not provide a comment and Vegas Express was unavailable.