Sanctions failure on underage sales

Data obtained from nine of the region's councils show that underage customers were able to buy drink and cigarettes on at least 539 occasions in three years.

But only five licensed premises gave up their licence or had it revoked after failing the test purchasing operations between April 2006 and March 2009.

Last month it emerged that more than 6,000 children aged 10 to 15 were handed police cautions or taken to court for abusing alcohol between 2003 and 2007.

The number of 13 to 15-year-olds who appeared in court for alcohol-related offences rose by almost 20 per cent over the same period.