A MARCH fund raiser who was prevented from serving mulled wine on her charity stall by licensing laws has been given a second opportunity to serve the drink.

Fenland District Council has provided Debbie Smith with a second charity stall the weekend before Christmas, where she will be licensed to sell mulled wine.

Mrs Smith held a successful stall on Saturday, with carol singers, belly dancers and fellow fund raisers helping her raise �488.79 for Help the Heroes.

The 33-year-old had been unable to gain a ‘temporary event notice’, which takes 10 days to process, to allow her to serve the wine. But the council’s gesture will ensure that she has all the paperwork needed for her second stall on December 18.

Mick Gipp, Safer Fenland Manager, told Mrs Smith that she could have the next stall for free, with the council even covering the cost of the licence.

“The council were great,” said Mrs Smith, who is intending to compete in the Barcelona Marathon in aid of the charity next year. “They are trying to make it easier to get these things sorted.

“It’s fantastic for the charity - it gives us two events and it’s a great day to do it during the weekend before Christmas. Hopefully we can raise a lot of money.

“I think this situation has raised awareness of all the licences you need to hold a stall and hopefully it will save some people problems in the future.”