POLICE have warned landlords in Fenland that they face penalties if they sell alcohol to under age drinkers after a 16 year old got served in two March pubs.

The warning came after officers from the police licensing team and Special Constabulary carried out a test purchase operation in March and Whittlesey.

A sixteen-year-old female volunteer attempted to get served in five premises in March and was successful in two.

Penalty notices of £90 were given to the staff who sold the alcohol.

In Whittlesey, two premises were visited but the volunteer was refused alcohol.

In January, seven premises in Wisbech were visited as part of a similar operation and three failed.

Two of these had failed a previous test in November last year.

One venue, the Horsefair Tavern, accepted a 96-hour closure while a 36-year-old man, who worked for the JD Wetherspoon-owned Wheatsheaf Inn, was found guilty of selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court last month and was fined £200, ordered to pay £310 costs and a £20 surcharge.

Sergeant Dave Bax said: “It is not acceptable for premises to sell alcohol to those under the age of 18 and we will continue to carry out tests in the Fenland area in order to protect children from harm. We would like all premises to use “Challenge 25” and ask for identification where there is any doubt.”